Satin Rouge

Another female-centric movie which is somewhat Karmen Gaei meets Sirens. Karmen Gaei being a similarly African film with long sequences of song-and-dance, and Sirens being a middle-aged woman who discovers new found sexuality within her.

This movie starts off somewhat languidly, and lulls you into a sleepy mood. The main protaganist, Lilia, a beautiful widow, goes about her sheltered life comfortably. Everyday she goes to the market, chats on the phone and fusses over her daughter, much to the latter's chargrin. She entombs herself with memories of her late husband together in the apartment. In one of her many quests to control her daughter, she accidentally stumbles onto a cabarat a few streets from her house. Ever so slowly, the movie merges her mundane world with the frenzy of the cabarat world. The cabarat has an irresistable charm, with its incessant drumbeats, and riots of colours that draw people like flies to the light. And that is what happens to Lilia. To the rest of us, it is a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, just like Karmen Gaei, the song-and-dance sequence goes on for far too long for non-africans. The terrible pacing, which is a blasphemy in the western world of CGI and action, snuffs out whatever interest is left of the viewer.

The one good saving point of this movie is the portrayal of Tunisian society. The titanic struggle between secularism and Islam, the east and west, the young and old, conservatism and liberation, threatens to boil over at some point, but they never do. Somehow the Tunisian society resolve these issues much more elegantly than say, more fundamentalist Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia or Egypt.

Watching this movie makes me feel I've just been to the modern city of Tunis to pay a visit to a boring aunt for the weekend.

Rating : 5.0

"Satin Rouge" is an obscure movie from Tunisia, but well worth a look. The story has Hiyam Abbas as Lilia, a widowed seamstress who breaks out of her shell and joins the glittery world of belly dancing. This movie seems to catch the essence of the dancer, how Middle Eastern society views her, and how she feels about the dance. "Satin Rouge" may not present a complete catalogue of belly dance moves, but what there is one might find very entertaining. On the whole, "Satin Rouge" offers a colorful look into another culture, making for a pleasurable dance.

As a 29 year old woman from Tunisia, I am satisfied and even proud of this movie. Here is another Tunisian movie that portrays Tunisian woman as liberated from the traditions, the religion, the social conformism, as opposed to women in some other Arabic/Muslim countries. I am excited to know that this movie has an international success. Hopefully, this will change people's prejudice about the society and the the situation of women in North Africa and the middle East. (by the way, Tunisia is in North Africa, not the middle East).

I liked this film, mostly because it was different from anything that comes out of Hollywood these days. First of all, the women actually look like normal women. I was pleasantly surprised to see older women with imperfect bodies depicted as sexy. Unlike shane k, I didn't think it was so predictable. I actually thought it was amazing how a once plain, shy, wallflower-like widow transforms into a manipulative and deceiving exotic dancer. What was most amazing was that it was not entirely implausible. The belly dancing, for her, was a way to feel things she had either never felt before or not in a long time - enchanting, desirable, alive. In the beginning, she was obsessed with her daughter because she didn't have a life of her own. Rather, she was envious of her daughter because she actually had a life. Once Lilia found something interesting on her own, she could let her daughter go. One warning, it is a little slow in the beginning. But like the dancing in the cabaret, it picks up to a rapid pace by the end. All in all, a pretty good movie.

All I heard about this film was that it was from Tunisia. Nothing prepared me for a delightful trip into the cabarets and clubs where this ancient art is practiced.

Director Raja Amari has created the right atmosphere for this little film that is far better than some multi-million dollar duds. Probably the whole budget of this film would have only bought a couple of props in a Hollywood blockbuster.

The story is very sweet. Lilia, played with great charm by Hiyam Abbas, strikes the right note and makes the film work. The relationship between Lilia and Salma, the daughter, is strained. Lilia is not only beautiful, but she's full of life. She discovers the world of dancing with the help of a charming array of down to earth dancers who take her into their realm. They show her how to open up and regain a life that has been cut short by the death of her husband.

Lilia transforms herself into our eyes and all we can think is to shout at her to do her thing, enjoy life to the fullest.

A very satisfying time at the movies.