Customer Reviews

Hideous Kinky

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Off-beat, original, and a masterpiece. That is Hideous Kinky in a nutshell. Kate Winslett was once an actress I held in contempt for that horrid movie Titanic. Since then, however, she has redeemed herself. Playing most notably, Ophelia in Branagh's Hamlet, and the delightfully sinful cousin in the adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel Jude. This movie is no exception. Here she plays an English expatriate living in Moracco. She has taken her two small children and the three of them live in poverty waiting on the next check from the children's careless father, who is a poet in England. As Winslett continues her neverending seach for inner enlightenment and her obsession with the sufi, she becomes as neglectful to the children as their father is. It is a tale about a woman who desires freedom, but is torn by responsibility.

Supporting Winslet is an excellent cast of unknows. Playing her love interest, Bilal, is Saïd Taghmaoui, who handles his role excellently. Perhaps most impressive are the two little girls. Older Bea, who just wants to be normal, is played by Bella Riza. Carrie Mullan is younger Lucy, who is still trying to understand what her wild life means.

Director Gillies MacKinnon does a wonderful job of portraying the foreign landscape and capturing the overall feel of Moracco. Based on the novel by Esther Freud (yes, she is in the direct lineage of old Siggy) this movie is not a typical flick, which is what makes it so nice. A refreshing break from the run-of-the-mill Hollywood movie, this may be the best movie the world never saw.

"Hideous Kinky" is based on an autobiographical novel by Esther Freud (Sigmund's great-granddaughter, not that this means anything in terms of the story) and stars Kate Winslet as Julia, a young British woman who has traveled to Marrakech in 1972 with her two young daughters in tow, 8-year old Bea (Bella Riza) and 6-year old Lucy (Carrie Mullan). Julia seems to be living in this exotic world because is a truth-seeker, but she is also running away from her life in London, where she caught her "husband" (i.e., the man who fathered her children), cheating on her. He is supposed to be sending them checks and care passages from home, but what usually happens is that the checks never arrive or are less than expected while the packages are intended for his "other" family.

This film holds us at a distance because the perspective is not so much that of the mother as it is of the daughters. Conveniently one of them is game for being dragged around a foreign land while the other becomes rebellious. The world does seemed turned upside down when a young girl tells her hippie mother: "I don't need another adventure, Mom. I need to go to school. I need to learn things." Julia wants to understand Sufi philosophy and find inner peace. Her daughters would like to taste rice pudding again (every time the older one has something to say the younger one announces the fact).

It is not so much that the movie condemns Julia as it is that it fails to understand her, largely because she clearly does not understand herself. Throughout the film director Gillies MacKinnon uses familiar songs by the likes of Jefferson Airplane and Richie Havens to substitute for action and to provide the film with the appropriate vibe. If these songs are being played loudly then what Julia is doing in a strange land with her children must be a good thing because these are good songs.

Yet we come to the conclusion that this what matters here in the end is not going to be a quest for enlightenment but simply the effort by Julia to get out of Morocco alive with both of her girls. However the crucial factor in this appears to be neither Julia nor the Europeans with whom she has some connections in Morocco, but Bilal (Said Taghamoui), a street performer who may be running from the policy and who becomes not only Julia's lover but a father figure of sorts to the girls. He may be a rogue, but he is a charming one and we have reason to believe that he cares about these women, even if he is ultimately powerless to help them.

In the end "Hideous Kinky" is more about people and a place more than anything else. The performances, including Winslet's first after the mega-success of "Titanic," are certainly solid enough. But memorable moments in this film are more likely to be when a familiar song, such as America's "Horse With No Name," pops up while Julia and the girls are hitchhiking across the desert. We get a sense of the culture of Morocco, but no real understanding of it, any more than Julia really understands herself any better in the end. But what we see is captivating enough that like Julia's children, we go along for the adventure.

This is a wonderful film with stellar performances by the entire cast. It is about a young woman's quest for the meaning of life. Taking place in the early 1970s, it is very reminiscent of an era now passed, an era when "flower power" was the rule of the day.

Here, Kate Winslet plays Julia, a twenty five year old young mother of two children, nine year old Bea, stunningly acted by Bella Riza, and her younger sister, Lucy, charmingly played by Carrie Mullen. They abandon their structured, staid life in London, when Julia decides to leave their father to go to Marrakech in Morocco, then the capitol of the disaffected, in search of spiritual enlightenment.

Taking her children, Julia goes on an adventure, an adventure to which Lucy, the younger of her two daughters, takes to almost immediately. Nine year old Bea, on the other hand, begins to yearn for a more "normal", structured life. Julia, however, will have none of it. Living in a Moroccan slum with her girls, she romanticizes their existence.

Julia becomes involved with Bilal, a street performer of sorts, who looks out for them. Wonderfully acted by Said Taghemaoui, Bilal charms Julia and her daughters. He cannot, however, support them, and they cannot support themselves. This becomes clear as they begin a rag tag journey into the Moroccan country side.

Sooner, rather than later, reality sets in. The adventure wears thin on Bea who becomes estranged from her mother. The harsh reality of every day life confronts Julia, who ultimately realizes that traipsing around Morocco just puts her young daughters at risk. Unfortuntely, this realization does not occur to her until she almost loses Bea to illness. It is then that Bilal steps up to home plate and gives them the means to return. They leave Marrakech to begin their journey home, taking with them enough memories to last a lifetime.

This is a wonderful movie with exceptional cinematography. A virtual travelogue of Moroccan life, it is a visual feast that is sure to delight those who have a hankering for faraway, exotic places and a thirst for adventure.

Kate Winslet absolutely shines in this tale of a young mother escaping "boring" London with her two young daughters. Julia (Winslet) and her daughters travel to Morocco to "find answers" and go on a journey. Of course, Julia finds love and a father figure for her daughters. Visually stunning and brilliantly acted, Hidious Kinky is an off-beat, yet highly rewarding film. If you're tired of Hollywood movies, see this film for a unique viewing experience.

A wonderful looking film; wide open shots of the country side, colourful villages, and Kate is a beautiful hippy. Inventive and engaging use of music with the scenes as well (kudos for including Nick Drake on the soundtrack). These things make the film certainly worthwhile. I have to say, however, that the story can be a bit thin and the whole "spiritual quest" theme is somewhat vague. Everything just sort of starts with Kate'n'the kids abroad griping about how daddy won't send the checks! The book is clearer on these ideas, but they weren't translated to the screenplay so well. Still, I can recommend the film if you know the book, or are a Winslet fan (and you should be).

Kate Winslet (Julia) eschews the glamour here in favor of depicting a 25-year-old mother of two seeking adventure and enlightenment with the Sufis in Morocco (instead of with the yogis in India, as was once the fashion). The year is 1972 and Julia might be a welfare mother except that there's no dole and the locale is rather exotic. Having left her poet husband behind in London, rather than "share him," Julia seeks the annihilation of the ego, and the god within. What she finds (aside from the fact that she's a little too young for that) is Bilal (Said Taghmaoui), a Marrakech street performer of questionable character who speaks English and charms her and her daughters.

Beautiful cinematography combined with a steady effort by Kate and winning performances from Bella Riza (Bea) and Carrie Mullan (Lucy) as her pre-adolescent daughters, however, cannot quite save this slightly plotted, although always realistic tale, from the bargain video bin.

Too bad because there is something wonderfully charming and honest about this film. "Wow! Hideous! Kinky!" is what the girls like to exclaim (in their London accents) in reaction to their experiences in the world. When Bea, wise as only a nine-year-old can be, describes the women on the balcony as "prostitutes," so thick is her accent that only the context allowed this old Yankee's ears to comprehend. There is a little peek-a-boo nudity that might offend some, and yes Marrakech and environs look as clean and sparkling as an upscale suburban mall, and true the editing is jumpy and a little chaotic; but in the land of the whirling dervishes perhaps this is as it should be. Bea is the daughter who disapproves of mum's adventurous spirit and wants to be "normal" and go to school every day (reminding me of Cher and Winona Ryder in Mermaids (1990)), while younger daughter Lucy finds love in her heart for all, especially for mum's new boy friend, Bilal. Somehow she actually teaches him the beginnings of responsibility, while he shares with them the delight of being alive.

I think what carries this story (from the novel by Esther Freud-yes, a relation) and made it an attractive part for Kate Winslet is the fair and honest character of Julia who struggles to find herself while caring for two little girls, which is what it is like for all women. A woman cannot find herself alone. She cannot throw off the constraints and responsibility of being a mother, because those are HER children. So she must take them along where ever she goes and find with them whatever it is she seeks, and this is a burden and a delight, as this film, despite its shortcomings, clearly shows.

I really enjoyed this film! Kate Winslet is brilliant as an adventure- seeking mother of two daughters which she drags around all over Morocco in search of fun and love with a handsome Moroccan man, Bilal. What she doesn't realize is that her selfish desire for adventure could easily put her two daughters in the hands of danger in a third- world country. After becoming a HUGE star with Titanic, Kate Winslet chose to do this adorable little film that she loved even though she could have chosen much bigger roles that were offered to her. Hideous Kinky is for people who can truly respect a charming and colorful movie, love of fun and adventure, and true romanticism. Kate Winslet is wonderful, and the two little girls, Be and Lucy are adorable! Only for the truly creative to enjoy!

Though many agreed that 'Hideous Kinky' was a strange and decidedly non-commercial choice for Kate Winslet's Titanic 'follow-up,' this dusty sapphire of a film is ultimately pleasing. Based upon Emma Freud's beguiling novel, the film attempts to translate (the main character) Julia's hippie-era 'search for meaning' in exotic Marrakech. While not enough time is spent delving into the deep reasons for Julia's dash from London for the often squalid conditions of Morrocco with two young daughters in tow, the location scenes are powerfully done. Julia's spiritual search is not idealized in the film and neither are her surroundings--Morrocco is shown with all of its luster and languor. Thus, the viewer is treated to the possibilities such a journey for the soul might bring--sickness, hunger, assault, theft, and many glimpses into a truly mesmerizing culture. The overall effect is one of visual fascination with Moroccan scenery (both pretty and putrid) and gentle, almost detached, curiosity about Julia's string of misadventures. The main conflict, of course, is Julia's naive belief that her structureless expedition will not have any serious consequences for her two daughters, especially Bea. Her affair with Bilal is also misleading to their fragile psyches. Kate Winslet portrays Julia with ravishing flair. She comes across as perfectly brilliant and senseless at the same time...no small acting accomplishment! This film will captivate the world-traveler or the dreamer in a soft, leisurely manner. It will toy with the intelligent imagination and linger like the smell of rain long after the summer storm has passed. Those who are not of an artistic bent may find it a trifle dull and difficult to follow. Otherwise, 'Hideous Kinky' is a rewarding film experience.

It is undeniable that Kate Winslet has courage. Were any other actress in the biggest blockbuster ever --`Titanic'--, she would follow up with another big movie, and become a sort of heroine. But Winslet, no! She doesn't want that. And here she is, in a small movie, with a low budget and with such a peculiar title. She doesn't care, as long as she's doing what she likes-- and by the way, she does it very well.

`Hideous Kinky' tells the story of a British young woman who with her two little daughters leave the boring and grey London and her poet husband to go to a sunny and exotic place in Morocco in the early 70s. Her idea is to find a Sufi guru who will instructs her in the annihilation of Ego. While seeking this man, she falls in love, lives in awful conditions and even has to be apart from one of her daugthers.

Needless to say that Winslet brings all the passion and power that this character needs. Her presence is magic and almost perfect. She is playing the kind of outsider anyone is expecting Winslet to play. It is impossible to imagine any other girl doing this role. Her two daughters are very good too, showing how lost they are in that place that is far from what they've been their whole lives.

The script is based on Esther Freud's novel, and it interesting to think that the source material was written by a descendent of Freud --the man who made the word Ego the mantra of XX century. Another thing that shines in the movie is the soundtrack. Full of songs from the late 60s, it gives the right tone to the story. Not failing to mention the Moroccan song that are terrific! A highly recommended movie, but for specific audiences.

Though the "Beat" generation of the `50s may have been the genesis of it all, there is no doubt that the `60s spawned an accelerated social upheaval like nothing that came before it. It was an era that was to become synonymous with uninhibited freedom and free love, as well as a quest for change and enlightenment on a variety of levels. "Hideous Kinky," directed by Gillies MacKinnon, has it's roots in that `60s sensibility, but the story picks up in the early `70s in Marrakech, Morocco, where a twenty-five year old mother of two has come seeking not only enlightenment, but a means to effect the "annihilation of the ego." Kate Winslet stars as Julia, who has left her home in London behind, as well as her children's father, in order to pursue her quest for spiritual freedom. But, as often happens when reality sets in, that quest becomes something of a trial in itself, as life becomes a matter of living hand to mouth, depending upon the generosity of others-- in many cases strangers-- and unfortunately at times putting not only Julia, but her two young daughters in peril for their lives. As a friend tells her early on in the film, in response to her reaction to the brutality to which he is subjected at work, "This isn't London--" And had she been a bit more astute, those simple words from her friend would've been all the enlightenment she needed. But to one with an eye on the prize and an adamant attitude, such simple wisdom is rarely perceptible, and-- as in Julia's case-- more often than not will go unheeded, as it does here. There's beauty in much of what Julia encounters on her journey, but mostly it's something of a travelogue for places to avoid at any cost; and the film is disconcerting in that the audience-- as an impartial observer-- can readily discern the futility of Julia's endeavors, and the fact that her children are subjected to it, as well, is unnerving at times. Of course, hindsight is always the nectar of the gods, and it's easy to see the "big picture" when you're able to view it at arm's length. There is no question that her quest is admirable, but because this is a person you come to like early on-- her personal qualities and motivations are beyond reproach; it's her decisions that are questionable-- it is frustrating to watch her muddle her way through (even during the happier moments) when it all seems so unnecessary, somehow. What is required, perhaps, is a thorough understanding of the times, and the attitudes effectuated by them; for the allurement of an awareness that can effect spiritual release is compelling, and the wisdom thought to be afforded by the fool on the hill can be an irresistible enticement even today. You have to admire Winslet for taking on a fairly unglamorous, though somewhat sympathetic role, after her mainstream success in "Titanic." With what I'm sure must have been a plethora of plum parts from which to choose, rather than play it safe she took the daring route and determined upon a project with character and substance. And though Julia may not be her most memorable creation, there is no question that her performance here is the highlight of the film. She lends an earthy, endearing quality to the character that make her not only likable, but believable; and because you sense the danger of her situation, it evokes a feeling of uneasiness that cannot be dispelled. It also makes you empathize with those whose loved ones embarked upon journeys similar to Julia's during this era; and there were many. The supporting cast includes Said Taghmaoui (Bilal), Bella Riza (Bea), Carrie Mullan (Lucy), Pierre Clementi (Santoni), Abigail Cruttenden (Charlotte), Ahmed Bouland (Ben Said), Sira Stampe (Eva) and Amidou (Sufi Sheikh). A film that prompts emotional involvement on a number of levels, "Hideous Kinky" is a paean of sorts to those who seek the fulfillment of a better way of life, and are willing to take the road less traveled to find it. And the strength of Winslet's performance alone makes it a film worth seeing. In her previous outing, she may have had a beautiful blue jewel to wear around her neck, but in this one, she "is" the jewel. And, make no mistake, it's the magic of the movie.