Hideous Kinky (1999) A capsule review by Nathaniel R. Atcheson
Director: Gillies MacKinnon Cast: Kate Winslet, Said Taghmaoui, Bella Riza, Carrie Mullan, Pierre Clementi Screenplay: Billy MacKinnon Producers: Ann Scott Runtime: 98 min. US Distribution: Stratosphere Entertainment Rated R: sex, language
Copyright 1999 Nathaniel R. Atcheson
Hideous Kinky gave me the same kind of feeling I always get when it seems the setting is more important than the characters: emptiness. That's not to say the film is lifeless; on the contrary, Kate Winslet gives a fantastic performance as Julia, an English mother trying to raise her two daughters (Bella Riza, Carrie Mullan) in Morocco. The central story is a good one, but the plot feels needlessly thickened by various intrusive elements, including Julia's not-so-moving love affair with a Moroccan man (Said Taghmaoui) and Julia's underdeveloped commitment to the local religion. Winslet, as I said, is a truly affecting actress, and I was also very impressed with young Carrie Mullan. Director Gillies MacKinnon does a nice job with atmosphere, and the film always feels authentic. But I got the strange sensation that the setting and the characters are part of two entirely different stories, and the movie just isn't very engaging because of this.
Psychosis Rating: 6/10
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Nathaniel R. Atcheson
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