User reviews

Jean, Isabelle, and her son Damien have left everything behind to sail around the world. During a stopover in Djibouti, they meet Mike, a taxi driver. Jean, anxious about setting sail again toward the dangerous Gulf of Aden, decides to take Mike aboard against Isabelle's wishes.

Albert Mahuzier, a filmmaker, invented the concept of family adventure after the war. From then on, with his wife and nine children, they continued to travel the world.

In a France fresh from the last war, their films caused a stir, and large audiences came to the "connaissance du monde " conferences to discover the adventures of this unique family.

Although Isabelle is a writing a book in the movie, and although Damien is HER son ("he calls me papa" ,Jean says) , their motive is not to share their experiences with eventual audiences;the heroine confesses she did not find her place in a society she shuns ;Mike is a rootless man, and his motive makes sense and explains his final attitude;as for Jean,he's the weak link in the script ,his character being not developed enough .

Except for the first scenes ,all the action takes place on the boat and it's a huis clos, recalling sometimes Roman Polanski's first feature film "knife in the water" atmosphere ,without the sex rivalry; add some elements of René Clément's "plein soleil " aka "purple noon" : Isabelle writes a book like Marge , and the last scenes ,although,on their own, they are absolutely successful (and suspenseful)

The artistic choice is particularly interesting : all the "thriller -like" scenes are seen through the eyes of isabelle , hidden away in her cabin ,or on a lifeboat far from the tragedy (later shown as a fleeting flashback)

Slow-moving, but a latent threat which hangs over a quiet life on a boat in the sun.

A taxi driver in Djibouti becomes , after few circumstances, part of team of Jean and Isabelle, a young couple traveling from Toulon to Marquise islands. The young man hopes to leave for ever Djibouti and, with help of two ones live in United States or France. In a crisis situation, he prooves be more loyal and useful.

But the interests of young couple are different by him. So, a radical measure, with dark consequences is the answer of Mike, the ex taxi driver, The final is more bitter than you expect. New demonstration of interest of French cinema for social themes , exploration of clash between interests of people from different cultures and new perspectives about pretty familiar themes.