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
