Customer Reviews

Satin Rouge

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Lilia, a widowed mother, endures a painfully lonely and boring life in modern-day Tunisia. Her empty existence (punctuated by infrequent visits from extended family members, and nearly as infrequent interludes with her daughter, Salmah) involves little more than keeping her apartment neat and tidy - you'd almost think she were a ghost who'd forgotten she was no longer alive. That is...until the sounds of her TV and her busy city are suddenly drowned out by an Arabic song - an Arabic crooner, some chords of an oud and the beat of a drum - and Lilia gives briefly herself to the music. Mostly, Lilia worries about Salmah - a blossoming young woman whom Lilia realizes is hiding something. At first thinking the secret is a new boyfriend, Lilia finds Salmah in bellydancing classes, and begins to think that the secret is not a new boyfriend (like the admirer who plays Darabouka in Salmah's classes) but a new job working the floors of some seedy cabaret. In search of Salmah, Lilia sneaks into the nearest smoke-filled cabaret, finding, not Salmah nor any of the younger girls with whom Salmah shared her time or her dancing. Over-glammed up, with costumes to match, the dancers of "Satin Rouge" are more like glamorous variations on Lilia - Past their prime, older than they could be and still hope to turn their art into stardom. They will never be confused with those dancers made famous in decades of Arabic movies - but once on the floor, the Women of "Satin Rouge" make up for it on gallons of unleaded oomph - following the darabouka beat (played by the same boy who sets the rhythm at Salmah's classes and, ironically enough really is her boyfriend). Immediately befriended by the other dancers, Lilia remains aloof at first, but also entranced, following a path guaranteed to bring her to the floor as the new star. At first volunteering to sew costumes for other dancers, she's caught by her new friends trying one of them on - giving her friends all the excuse they need to "unveil" her to their world. In a sensual surprise, Lilia can move, but does so artlessly (the gruff boss says she has movement, but no art). Still, in the smoky backroom that is the cabaret, she proves popular enough to be kept on until she can refine her foot & hip work. Forgetting most of her worries about Salmah (now that she has a secret of her own) Lilia begins a double life - housewife by day, cabaret star at night. In the movie's running joke, Lilia assumes the existence she had imagined for Salmah, yet continues to chide the younger girl for coming home way after midnight - Salmah having no idea that her mother had only returned a short time earlier. As the story progresses, Lilia will blossom and find a way to enjoy her life.

To get the most of "Satin Rouge", you must remember what the movie is not - it's not meant to judge Lilia as much as mark how she changes. "Satin" says little about women in the near-east (filmed in liberal Tunis, the movie shows us openly affectionate and un-veiled women walking the streets of their city, sometimes alone or at night - Kabul it's not). Though Lilia's life is clearly unfulfilled, little in the script clarifies the comparative strength of men, since there are so few male characters, and few really do anything that really drives the story. Though focused on bellydancers, "Satin" doesn't judge or clarify what the dance really means - fitting neither Hollywood's ideal (in which gauzy-dressed girls danced for men) nor the neo-feminist perspective (which - despite glittery and revealing costumes, unabashedly sensual movements and the secondary status endured by women in those countries identified with the dance - still views the dance as an art form and entertainment for women that empowers them and traces its origins to cultures dominated by them). While "Satin" says little about the cultural merits of the east and west, it does get its point across - contrasting the misery Lilia endures while a western-style TV soap opera blares through her apartment, against the liberated passions she feels whenever a song with a good beat comes over the radio. Lilia enjoys the dance because it is the only thing she can do that people seem to enjoy (her dancing friends aside everybody hates her sewing, and nobody's interested in her cooking). Nor is "Satin" about how beautiful you can become when you pull yourself out of your shell - played by Hiam Abbas, Lilia is at least as attractive as her new friends at the outset (if plainly so). When first entering the cabaret - still very much the cloistered and house-dressed widow approaching mid-age - the men swarm over her, undistracted by the performing dancers. "Satin" is best viewed as the story of a woman who already has power and beauty, but seems lost to the world until she finds the right beat.

This movie started off somewhat languidly, and lulls you into a sleepy mood but then picks up towards the middle. This Tunisian movie portrays the woman as liberated from the traditions, religion, and social conformism, as opposed to women in some other Arabic/Muslim countries. People might think this country is located in the Middle East but is in North Africa.

What makes "Satin Rouge" an adorable film is that Director Amari uses the belly-dancing element to explore the prevailing social values and to comment on the emotional numbness of modern life. Hiam Abbass as Lilia is a beautiful lady whose appearance and character grows as she goes out at night. The sets and the costume are well placed, and the dance scenes are a pleasure to the eye. The plot of the romance is well developed, as it takes twists and turns before it irons itself out.

This film had kept my interest and could have gone either two ways. It could have ended either comically or tragically. There are certainly laughs along the way, but in a nervous way. In any case, "Satin Rouge" does offer a pleasurable dance into another culture that just might appeal to you.

Where to start? For a movie I have been waiting to watch for well over a year, I must first say that I was not disappointed. What was the theme? Was it about a belly dancer, or was it about a widowed mother rediscovering life itself? Despite my obsession and often single visioned approach to things - the belly dancing itself was just a setting to frame the larger story.
What happens, when all you've lived for is slipping out of your hands. Widowed with a daughter grown, and ready to leave; Existing within a society where both men and women are a constant pressure and discouragement towards a woman's independence in life, the future may indeed look grim.
Lillia, by accident, stumbles across the nightlife in the caberets - a place where no respected woman would dare go. Why? She originally suspected her daughter of being there with one of the musicians when she did not come home that night. Instead, she found a whole new world. Shocked at first by the smokey atmosphere, bold dancers, and loud audience, she tried to stay away from it... but the friendship of the main dancer, and the allure of the night life itself beckoned to her caged spirit.
By accident she found herself actually dancing one night, encouraged by the rhythm from the darbouka and the clapping and enthusiastic response of the local audience. Her next evening there, she was once again lured out to the floor to dance, though reluctant at first. The playful, flirtatious drum beats egged her on, as did the dancers who came up to help her find the beat. With the applause and praise of the audience, something within broke free, and she lost herself to the wild excited joy of the dance.
After that evening she was theirs. She took happiness in her new found friendship and reawakened sensuality, though she couldn't let those in her day time life know, for it wasn't a respectable way for a woman. She began to give her daughter more freedom to grow, and started also to give more notice of her own appearance... a new pair of heels, a new hair cut. She began to take on a more youthful appearance, reflecting the inward changes of her soul.
I can't say much more about the story without giving away too much more. But needless to say, I greatly enjoyed watching it and would recommend it to all of my women friends. That's another point - though there is a male character that is key to the entire movie (the darbouka player).. there is very little speech from the men... Why? It's a story about a woman. Men might play a part, but they are not the focus.
I would also place a warning for two things.. 1 is simple... It's subtitled, even in DVD format, and 2, some viewers may be offended or put off by some parts of the movie. It is well worth it though, so please, if you have it available to rent or borrow or buy - watch it!

Note: Arabic with English subtitles.

This is a great women's empowerment film, but you don't have to be female to enjoy it. Lilia (Hiam Abbassa) is a widowed, middle-aged woman living the life a unexciting reclusive lifestyle as a seamstress. Her only child, a daughter, is a college student who has a life of her own and has only marginal contact with her Mother.

Her life appears to be going nowhere until she happens to meet a bellydancer while shopping at a local cloth store. She is hired by her new aquaintance a few days later comes to the cabaret to deliver the repaired outfit. Immediately captivated by the rhythmic drums and the swirling dancers see finds herself returning night after night to absorb the music and atmosphere.

Eventually she musters up enough courage to try it for herself. With only a few quick pointers from the girls she borrows an outfit and takes the stage. While her technique is poor and amateurish, her energy and enthusiasm draws the attention of the male patrons and she soon becomes the most popular performer. Her success at the cabaret slowly begins to bring about positive changes in Lilia life, as she faces her problems with the same determinatiion she brings to her dancing. Eventually she becomes a self-confident, assertive woman who can once again embrace life and love.

The music is fantastic, the atmosphere exotic and Hiam Abbass is the perfect mixture of innocence and sensuality. Highly recommended!

It was great to see an authentic belly dancing story. I'm a bellydancer who has over five years of performing experience, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to see a Tunesian story about a belly dancer. Unfortunately, the film confirmed my suspicion that belly dancers in the Middle East are what strippers are to the West. It is clear early in the film that a "respectable" woman wouldn't belly dance, and the many scenes in the cabaret confirm my analogy is correct. In the final scene, the middle-aged heroine is looking foolish as she belly dances desperately to seek attention.

I was expecting a story of feminine empowerment, and I got the opposite. As well, I was expecting great dance scenes, and again I got the opposite. As far as the story goes, the film's director underestimates the viewers' intelligence.

That said, it would be absolutely crazy for any belly dancer to pass this movie up. Authentic dancing in its native cultural setting is something so few of us ever get to experience. It's worth it just for that education. Although it wasn't what I hoped for, it was engaging and entertaining, and the music was great. Finally, the subtitles were well displayed and easy to read.

This has been one of my favorite films since I saw it in the movie theater a couple of years ago. The plot is very clever, the movie is very well-acted, the characters are interesting, and the caberet scenes are full of primal enthusiasm and excitement. The transformation of character that the heroine undergoes during the course of the story is fascinating. Fans of middle-eastern music and bellydance will love this film. BUT, there is an unfortunate drawback to the DVD version. The soundtrack is not synchronized properly with the video portion of the film. It's about half-second or more behind the action in the film. This can be distracting at times and detracts from the appeal of the film. I sent a message of complaint about this to Zeitgeist Films but I did not get a reply. It's very unfortunate that the people at Zeitgeist did not take the care to sync the soundtrack properly.

I'm a belly dance instructor, and saw this movie in the theatre because I'd read the favorable press reviews about it. The movie's website contains some interesting interviews with the producers and background info about the movie. If you are a belly dancer, you need to see this movie! It has lovely dance scenes woven into the storyline. This film was produced by a woman, and is geared towards women. A lot of the humor will especially be appreciated by women. I went with a large group of women to see it at the theatre, and the women (belly dancers), all loved it. The men were less enthusiastic, since it really is more of a woman's film. Five stars!

"Great movie", though it goes against what I strive to educate my dance students on the ethics of Belly Dance and how it is not intended to be performed souly for a mans pleasure. It does speak to many women striving to overcome their cacoon of melancholy and hidden passions. Believe me ladies, this one will make you want to dance and appreciate your body as it is! This movie was enspiring and did not stereotype what a Belly dancer should look like, the music will move you and the story is spirited.
Bahijha

We begin the film following a beautiful widower in her apartment and community. She has a daughter whom she loves and cares for very much, but for her life does not stop because you are a mother. The protagonist, Lilia is a simple yet complex woman, who is not satisfied with the banalities of everyday life. We see her thinking and wondering all the time. She struggles between balancing her life as a mother, the need to express her femininity and to fulfill her desires.
Magically like we say in the Bled, the "Maktoub" leads her to Belly Dancing. Finaly,it is through that art form that our heroine finds her medium to self-understanding and freedom.
Although the film is about a North African woman Tunisian specifically, the theme is a universal one.
So to all the nomads on the journey, go out there and find your "Sating Rouge"

I loved the reality of this story. Most of us who belly dance can relate to being an average Jane during the day and a Belly Dancing goddess at night. It has a few unexpected twists and hypnotic dance scenes at the casbah. With real life situations and cultural taboo being a big part of the story it remained intriguing until the very end.