Marrakech express

It has been quite a while since I saw this film (I viewed it in the theatres when it opened), but I read some of the negative user comments and decided to throw in my 2 cents.

I remember not having a clue what to expect as I walked into the theatre as I had heard nothing of the film and was accompanying a friend who wanted to see it.

I also remember being touched by the performances of all involved, especially Ms. Winslet and her lovely on-screen children. The scenery was beautiful and the story was a poignant journey into the life of a young family uprooted from their London home to travel to the Moroccan countryside. As the final scene ended and the credits began I remember sighing with enjoyment and satisfaction at an hour and a half of viewing pleasure.

While the movie will not appeal to everyone, I must say that it is nice to sit and watch a simple film that is not bursting with gore, nudity and profanity for a change.

A surprise treat!

I had missed this movie when it came out over 20 years ago but now was able to watch it on the Kanopy streaming site via my public library's subscription. The title might be misleading, it derives from a short exchange between the two young daughters as they lay in bed, one says "hideous" and the other responds "kinky", it is not clear that they actually know what the meanings are.

The movie is filmed entirely in Morocco. Kate Winslet, only 22 during filming, seems to be playing an almost 30 woman with two young daughters. She is Julia, they leave their London home and her poet husband to find out what a different life is like. Her husband is supposed to send money to them periodically but that becomes unreliable and they have to devise ways to try to make ends meet.

The result is a series of adventures and misadventures before they finally board a train in the start of a journey back to England. It is a well made movie with many interesting elements, but when it is over there isn't much residual impact. Most interesting to me was to see a sort of travelogue of Morocco, a place I've never been.

A young English mother, Julia (Kate Winslet), packs up her two daughters, aged 5 and 7, moves to Morocco and embarks on a voyage of self discovery. Set in 1972, the film catches up with Julia and kids nine months into their trip. We're never told why she left London, but her artist-husband back home has just stopped providing the rent checks. This is putting a crimp in the self-awareness game. In the process of surviving and searching for Sufic fulfillment, Julia must also deal with her children's growing disenchantment with life in Morocco, and their desire to return to a stable, normal (and English) childhood. Family friction increases when she takes a young Moroccan lover, and a group of wealthy English ex-pats start second guessing Julia's childrearing abilities.

There is no big story here, no buildup of drama, and no real endgame. "Hideous Kinky" is a study of the family dynamics amongst this odd troupe. The acting is very good, especially the two children, and the on-location filming in Morocco is a treat. This film is definitely not for everyone, but if you are in to this type of movie, you should enjoy it. The single word that I would use to describe "Hideous Kinky" is 'honest'.

Sorting out my thoughts about this movie is tricky since I did read the book and it's hard to forget it.

The book has the distinction of being narrated by the younger sister and so a crucial part of the book's identity is lost. But I think this is for the best since it instead chooses to tell its story visually rather than use an annoying narrator to tell us what we can see. A first person novel is incredibly intimate while a movie (when made like a movie, not a book) has the advantage of a certain aloofness and there is something voyeuristic in the cool pacing and candour of this story.

There is a much stronger character in the mother here as someone on a quest for spirituality but not sure what kind of spirituality. The focus is on the family and isn't centred on the little girl so much.

The on location filming is beautiful even if it could have given us more in terms of local colour.

Overall I enjoyed this breezy movie about people on an indeterminate path in life and trying to find identity in exotic lands and how this doesn't turn out as will as you hope. The light touch is much appreciated and the sense of intimacy of the family is evident from their physical interaction. The little girl strolls dressed in nothing but underpants to cuddle with Mom; later she slides up close to Mum making love with her Muslim lover.

At it's core a little disquieting but ultimately warm experience.

'Hideous Kinky' initially gives the impression of being a movie about a woman's adventurous and spiritual journey when it is actually about her journey to self-discovery. MacKinnon captures the landscape of Marrakech beautifully. The wild exotic culture looks authentic. The cinematography and music blend superbly with the overall mood of the film. The director makes the viewer feel like a silent observer and travelling companion of Julia and her children. I loved how her relationship with Bilal was portrayed as a beautiful friendship based on love, compassion, kindness and in the end, sacrifice. Kate Winslet does a phenomenal job once again. Said Taghmaoui does an equally convincing job but unfortunately, he still remains an underrated actor typecast in terrorist roles. It's a pity that Hollywood does not offer this actor much else to do. Child actors Bella Riza and Carrie Mullan deliver some of the better performances by child actors. 'Hideous Kinky' is an adventurous movie in the true sense of the genre. It's not an 'Indiana Jones' or 'Pirates of the Caribbean' type experience but rather something more layered, subtle and profound. Think of a kinky summer holiday about self examination somewhere exotic and less known.