Hideous Kinky
|
Our Price: $57.50 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $10.31 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Canada
Movie Reviews of Hideous Kinky
Movie Review: A woman finds herself in Morocco trying to find herself
Summary: 4 Stars
"Hideous Kinky" is based on an autobiographical novel by Esther Freud (Sigmund's great-granddaughter, not that this means anything in terms of the story) and stars Kate Winslet as Julia, a young British woman who has traveled to Marrakech in 1972 with her two young daughters in tow, 8-year old Bea (Bella Riza) and 6-year old Lucy (Carrie Mullan). Julia seems to be living in this exotic world because is a truth-seeker, but she is also running away from her life in London, where she caught her "husband" (i.e., the man who fathered her children), cheating on her. He is supposed to be sending them checks and care passages from home, but what usually happens is that the checks never arrive or are less than expected while the packages are intended for his "other" family.
This film holds us at a distance because the perspective is not so much that of the mother as it is of the daughters. Conveniently one of them is game for being dragged around a foreign land while the other becomes rebellious. The world does seemed turned upside down when a young girl tells her hippie mother: "I don't need another adventure, Mom. I need to go to school. I need to learn things." Julia wants to understand Sufi philosophy and find inner peace. Her daughters would like to taste rice pudding again (every time the older one has something to say the younger one announces the fact).
It is not so much that the movie condemns Julia as it is that it fails to understand her, largely because she clearly does not understand herself. Throughout the film director Gillies MacKinnon uses familiar songs by the likes of Jefferson Airplane and Richie Havens to substitute for action and to provide the film with the appropriate vibe. If these songs are being played loudly then what Julia is doing in a strange land with her children must be a good thing because these are good songs.
Yet we come to the conclusion that this what matters here in the end is not going to be a quest for enlightenment but simply the effort by Julia to get out of Morocco alive with both of her girls. However the crucial factor in this appears to be neither Julia nor the Europeans with whom she has some connections in Morocco, but Bilal (Said Taghamoui), a street performer who may be running from the policy and who becomes not only Julia's lover but a father figure of sorts to the girls. He may be a rogue, but he is a charming one and we have reason to believe that he cares about these women, even if he is ultimately powerless to help them.
In the end "Hideous Kinky" is more about people and a place more than anything else. The performances, including Winslet's first after the mega-success of "Titanic," are certainly solid enough. But memorable moments in this film are more likely to be when a familiar song, such as America's "Horse With No Name," pops up while Julia and the girls are hitchhiking across the desert. We get a sense of the culture of Morocco, but no real understanding of it, any more than Julia really understands herself any better in the end. But what we see is captivating enough that like Julia's children, we go along for the adventure.
Movie Review: Spirit of the 60s, man
Summary: 4 Stars
Hideous Kinky is based on Esther Freud's novel, told from a child's point of view, of a strange family journey through Morocco in the early 1970s. Kate Winslett is the young mother who has left behind the stability of a flat in central London, work, and a husband. She drags her two young girls through the dusty and beautiful landscapes of Morocco, all the while searching for something she believes is out there.The theatrical trailer for this film was very odd--all I remember about is that I wanted to see the film for some reason. Not your typical Hollywood fare by a long shot, it's Winslett's first major film after Titantic, I believe. Quite a departure in terms of production, however, still a very good role for her. Over time, the characters find themselves lost in more ways than one, meeting up with and losing and finding Bilal, a Moroccan man who offers a fascinating counterpoint to these atypical English travellers. The selfishness of the main character becomes more clear as we watch the children suffer through confusion, discomfort, and a suspended reality while mommy flirts with spirituality.
This is not for everyone. It's not a chick flick, it's not exactly a travelogue (though it approaches that format most often), nor is it a melodrama by any means. Taking place in the early 1970s it plays with the notions of the hippie or the pseudo-hippie, bucking the system yet stressing the notion that the system has irrevocably molded you. You may feel for the characters, or you may feel contempt at the irresponsible choices.
There's also a great soundtrack on CD. The theatrical trailer made it's point with Jefferson Airplane's classic Somebody to Love, while there's also Nick Drake, Canned Heat, and some regional music from Morocco as well.
The film is a real treat and is highly recommended if you want a recognizable star in a non-Hollywood setting, and if you want an insight into the nomadic handling of young children by a confused parent.
Movie Review: Visually Delicious, Evocative
Summary: 4 Stars
Though many agreed that 'Hideous Kinky' was a strange and decidedly non-commercial choice for Kate Winslet's Titanic 'follow-up,' this dusty sapphire of a film is ultimately pleasing. Based upon Emma Freud's beguiling novel, the film attempts to translate (the main character) Julia's hippie-era 'search for meaning' in exotic Marrakech. While not enough time is spent delving into the deep reasons for Julia's dash from London for the often squalid conditions of Morrocco with two young daughters in tow, the location scenes are powerfully done. Julia's spiritual search is not idealized in the film and neither are her surroundings--Morrocco is shown with all of its luster and languor. Thus, the viewer is treated to the possibilities such a journey for the soul might bring--sickness, hunger, assault, theft, and many glimpses into a truly mesmerizing culture. The overall effect is one of visual fascination with Moroccan scenery (both pretty and putrid) and gentle, almost detached, curiosity about Julia's string of misadventures. The main conflict, of course, is Julia's naive belief that her structureless expedition will not have any serious consequences for her two daughters, especially Bea. Her affair with Bilal is also misleading to their fragile psyches. Kate Winslet portrays Julia with ravishing flair. She comes across as perfectly brilliant and senseless at the same time...no small acting accomplishment! This film will captivate the world-traveler or the dreamer in a soft, leisurely manner. It will toy with the intelligent imagination and linger like the smell of rain long after the summer storm has passed. Those who are not of an artistic bent may find it a trifle dull and difficult to follow. Otherwise, 'Hideous Kinky' is a rewarding film experience.Movie Review: Kate Winslet does it again
Summary: 4 Stars
It is undeniable that Kate Winslet has courage. Were any other actress in the biggest blockbuster ever --`Titanic'--, she would follow up with another big movie, and become a sort of heroine. But Winslet, no! She doesn't want that. And here she is, in a small movie, with a low budget and with such a peculiar title. She doesn't care, as long as she's doing what she likes-- and by the way, she does it very well.`Hideous Kinky' tells the story of a British young woman who with her two little daughters leave the boring and grey London and her poet husband to go to a sunny and exotic place in Morocco in the early 70s. Her idea is to find a Sufi guru who will instructs her in the annihilation of Ego. While seeking this man, she falls in love, lives in awful conditions and even has to be apart from one of her daugthers.
Needless to say that Winslet brings all the passion and power that this character needs. Her presence is magic and almost perfect. She is playing the kind of outsider anyone is expecting Winslet to play. It is impossible to imagine any other girl doing this role. Her two daughters are very good too, showing how lost they are in that place that is far from what they've been their whole lives.
The script is based on Esther Freud's novel, and it interesting to think that the source material was written by a descendent of Freud --the man who made the word Ego the mantra of XX century. Another thing that shines in the movie is the soundtrack. Full of songs from the late 60s, it gives the right tone to the story. Not failing to mention the Moroccan song that are terrific! A highly recommended movie, but for specific audiences.
Movie Review: Not your typical Hollywood movie--thank God.
Summary: 4 Stars
Off-beat, original, and a masterpiece. That is Hideous Kinky in a nutshell. Kate Winslett was once an actress I held in contempt for that horrid movie Titanic. Since then, however, she has redeemed herself. Playing most notably, Ophelia in Branagh's Hamlet, and the delightfully sinful cousin in the adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel Jude. This movie is no exception. Here she plays an English expatriate living in Moracco. She has taken her two small children and the three of them live in poverty waiting on the next check from the children's careless father, who is a poet in England. As Winslett continues her neverending seach for inner enlightenment and her obsession with the sufi, she becomes as neglectful to the children as their father is. It is a tale about a woman who desires freedom, but is torn by responsibility.Supporting Winslet is an excellent cast of unknows. Playing her love interest, Bilal, is Saïd Taghmaoui, who handles his role excellently. Perhaps most impressive are the two little girls. Older Bea, who just wants to be normal, is played by Bella Riza. Carrie Mullan is younger Lucy, who is still trying to understand what her wild life means.
Director Gillies MacKinnon does a wonderful job of portraying the foreign landscape and capturing the overall feel of Moracco. Based on the novel by Esther Freud (yes, she is in the direct lineage of old Siggy) this movie is not a typical flick, which is what makes it so nice. A refreshing break from the run-of-the-mill Hollywood movie, this may be the best movie the world never saw.