• A strong opening with “masks people where” conversation and a woman trying to give her daughter away for a better life
  • Person name in chapter breaks and then breaking into like a Sex, Lies and Videotape type of interview or that from Lenny
  • Set in Haiti
  • Rampling is a damn lioness- knowledge of the island, language, resort, people—she’s making power moves
  • It’s an unflinching look at racism and social inequities
  • Rampling’s (Ellen) character tries to run off with Legba but is rejected- Brenda (Karen Young) goes with another man that night- she comes off initially as the good (or at least more sensitive of the two female leads) but she’s not- she’s a monster. The murder plot for Legba is set up weakly
  • His murder is meant to be shown as inconsequential- bound to be repeated due to the situation. These are naïve and insensitive women
  • Rampling is superb here. She’s cold but has cracks of vulnerability—this isn’t in the archives without her
  • It’s a social statement without being heavy-handed
  • Sloppy voiceover at the finale with Karen Young’s character. It’s a gorgeous shot and good writing as she leaves the island but it’s the first time that voiceover like that has been introduced.
  • There is overall symmetry in the narrative- begins and ends with them coming and going from island
  • Recommend but not in top 10 of 2005