MOVIES Part Three

Highly opinionated comments on movies that have some aspect of camels or desert. Continued from MOVIES Part One and MOVIES Part Two. You know you can click on those links, right?

The Sheltering Sky

Debra Winger and John Malkovich seek isolated places in the Sahara to find? avoid? remedy? their hollow relationship. I never liked Malkovich but he's bearable here, till he gets typhoid and takes far too long to die. She ‒ restless, dazed, possibly nuts ‒ wanders off, meets a camel caravan and one mishap after another. Appropriately acclaimed for its gorgeous cinematography, it's Bertolucci-directed, but Paul Bowles' aimless existentialism and characters leave me cold. Partially filmed in several Morocco locations.

Babel

OK, 'fessing up. Only watched the one-third (or so) that takes place in Morocco (and actually filmed there in studios I visited in 2017). A sad, harrowing tale of little boys playing with a gun and how far the consequences reach — in a random universe, we all have a degree of connection to everyone else. Brad Pitt does a more than creditable job; it was agony watching/waiting for Cate Blanchett to die.

Sahara

Pure treasure hunting good fun, and camels! Mathew McConaughey performs as Clive Cussler's action hero Dirk Pitt in an improbable story of a search for a missing Civil War-era iron battleship, supposedly sunk upriver in what would be Mali(!). Great camaraderie interaction with supporting actor Steve Zahn. Penelope Cruz plays the trusting wench, albeit a humanitarian doctor; no one dies except the bad guys. Yes, some filming in Morocco, more in Spain, 2005.

Sand and Sorrow

George Clooney's activist side narrates (and produced) this documentary of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur - a province in Sudan - largely being ignored by the rest of the world. Government-directed genocide of "non-Arab" civilians, millions of people still displaced and unsafe even years after the doc was made (2007). Killing and burning. Very difficult to watch.

P.S. I loved you once, George, but I can't forgive you for the Nescafé ads. 

The Story of the Weeping Camel

Oh — what a slice of life in rural Mongolia! Absolutely enchanting. This 2003 docudrama is available online. Of course it's the Gobi desert where, in the midst of their daily life, a nomad family tries to save a baby camel rejected by its mother. The effort requires special attention with traditional customs and music. Deeply moving and joyful.

Letters from Baghdad

A documentary of 2016, Gertrude Bell's letters speak to her adventures and British service in Arabia prior to and during the First World War. As much or more than the more celebrated T.E. Lawrence, Bell helped shape Middle East alliances and policies. Less attention is paid to her archaeological accomplishments and her founding of the renowned Baghdad Museum. Produced and voiced by Tilda Swinton as Bell, the film is rich with archival footage and Bell's own photographs, with contemporary commentary from the many historical figures she met or worked with. Extremely well done.

The Little Prince

Aside from unable to grasp the wispy little voices of child characters (uneven sound?) half the time, I could not make much sense of it. Maybe because it's so French? Same trouble with the book, moi, long ago. This new adaptation (2015) includes a darling little girl who, in searching for the Little Prince, sees the worst of grown-up behaviour, assisted by the incredibly ugly but kind Aviator. The Sahara makes a brief appearance along with an enigmatic fox and a snake. The Little Prince himself did not impress me. See with your heart seems to be the message, but it's enough to know that the twinkling of stars means happy laughter.

Cairo Time

A romantic side of Egypt, of Cairo (2009). Juliet arrives in the city to meet her husband who remains absent in Gaza until the end of the film. Husband's good friend Tareq escorts Juliet in sightseeing, a mutual attraction building. Ultimately, consummation is thwarted. Flimsy story, but the scenes of Cairo are wonderful, so many places I've been. ... I know he's acted in Star Trek and Syriana and numerous films or stage productions, but why can't we see MORE of hunk Alexander Siddig who played Tareq?!

Keep those movies coming ...

© 2019 Brenda Dougall Merriman