Cast: Kate Winslet, Said Taghmaoui, Bella Riza, Carrie Mullan
Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Producer: Ann Scott
Screenplay: Billy MacKinnon from the novel by Esther Freud
Cinematography: John de Borman
Music: John Keane
U.S. Distributor: Stratosphere Entertainment
Gillies MacKinnon's Hideous Kinky is a road movie, but one of a very different sort. Set in 1972 Morocco, it follows the quest of a young British woman to discover herself and give her two daughters a taste of the world. What differentiates Hideous Kinky from the average road movie is the strength and complexity of the central relationship between Julia (Kate Winslet) and her offspring: 8-year old Bea (Bella Riza) and 6-year old Lucy (Carrie Mullan). While there are all the usual misadventures and colorful characters, the mother/daughter and sister/sister bonds form the gel that holds everything together and gives Hideous Kinky a unique identity.
When her longtime lover and the father of her two children moves on to another woman, Julia quits the gray sadness of London for the warm brightness of Marrakech. However, although Morocco offers the promise of spiritual enlightenment to the 25-year old mother, a lack of financial resources limits her prospects. She wants to travel to Algeria, where one of the great mystics resides, but, with barely enough money to live off of, the possibility of moving on seems remote. And, while Lucy is happy in this new, strange country, Bea wants nothing more than to return to a "normal" life. One day, Julia's goals and priorities are re-arranged when she meets Bilal (Said Taghmaoui), a charming acrobat who quickly insinuates himself into the vagabond family as Julia's lover and Lucy and Bea's father figure. Soon, the quartet is off on a short vacation to Bilal's home village, but that trip turns into a more revealing sojourn than anyone expected.
MacKinnon (Regeneration), directing from a script written by his brother and based on the novel by Esther Freud, captures time and place perfectly. While Morocco of the early '70s is much the same as it is today (in fact, there's a timeless quality to the markets and streets of Marrakech), MacKinnon uses hair styles, fashions, and music to cement the era (among the songs on the soundtrack: America's "A Horse with No Name" and Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody to Love"). The camera captures the stark beauty of the desert (complete with at least one memorable sunset) and a riot of colors marking the bustling city streets. Alongside Julia, Bea, Lucy, and Bilal, Marrakech is easily a fifth character, and perhaps the most vibrant of all. This is truly a movie where it's possible to soak in the atmosphere, and where the setting elevates the story.
Kate Winslet, whose performance is top-notch, shows here that she's more interested in advancing her craft than in basking in publicity and trying to get a big paycheck. Unlike her high profile co-star from Titanic, Winslet went back to work immediately, giving up the spotlight of Hollywood for a glamorless part in a small production. Her salary for Hideous Kinky is only a tiny fraction of what Leonardo DiCaprio is receiving for his work in The Beach, but it proves to the whole world where Winslet's sensibilities lie.
Opposite Winslet is Said Taghmaoui (Hate), whose infectious charisma makes him a perfect choice for the part of the likable, roguish Bilal. As Julia's children, both Bella Riza and Carrie Mullan are making their feature debuts. Each displays natural talent; rarely is there even the barest hint of artifice in either performance. Also in the cast is veteran French actor Pierre Clementi, who plays a European who opens his villa to Julia and her daughters.
For all that Hideous Kinky introduces us to an unusual culture and takes us on a whirlwind trip of Morocco, the central feature of the film is the human element. While Julia loves both her daughters, the tone of her relationship with Bea is much different from the one she shares with Lucy. It's the give-and-take of this interaction and the sacrifices Julia must ultimately make for her children that makes Hideous Kinky more than just a lush travelogue. MacKinnon has not allowed the glorious setting to overwhelm the characters. Through everything, Winslet's Julia remains the rock upon which the story is founded and developed.
© 1999 James Berardinelli