My review was written in November 1988 after watching the film on Vidmark video cassette.
This variously titled 1986 production filmed in Tunisia makes its belated bow direct-to-video as an engrossing period drama giving Julie Christie and Ben Gazzara rather oddball roles.
Julie's a saloon singer (with Liverpudlian accent when speaking) married to Gazzara, but both flee from their North African homestead in 1955 on the eve of independence. Gazzara's illegitimate son Wanis has a crush on Christie that's fortunately not consummated, even when as an adult (played by handsome star Patrick Bruel) Wanis meets up with her again in a nightclub.
Pic meanders with various metaphorical subplots, particularly young Wanis' preoccupation with cars (and Gazzara/Christie's vintage Buick) leading to an unexciting stock car chase. Supporting cast is dubbed while the leads speak direct-sound English in an unhappy mixture.
Cassette packaging credits direction to Henri Vari, who was production manager on the film, while Tunisian filmmaker Ridha Behi (whose "Les Anges" was a Directors Fortnight selection at the 1985 Cannes film fest) receives the proper credit on screen. Another oddity is that Christie's singing voice is dubbed in the jazz mode by no less than Chan Parker and Kim Parker.
This variously titled 1986 production filmed in Tunisia makes its belated bow direct-to-video as an engrossing period drama giving Julie Christie and Ben Gazzara rather oddball roles.
Julie's a saloon singer (with Liverpudlian accent when speaking) married to Gazzara, but both flee from their North African homestead in 1955 on the eve of independence. Gazzara's illegitimate son Wanis has a crush on Christie that's fortunately not consummated, even when as an adult (played by handsome star Patrick Bruel) Wanis meets up with her again in a nightclub.
Pic meanders with various metaphorical subplots, particularly young Wanis' preoccupation with cars (and Gazzara/Christie's vintage Buick) leading to an unexciting stock car chase. Supporting cast is dubbed while the leads speak direct-sound English in an unhappy mixture.
Cassette packaging credits direction to Henri Vari, who was production manager on the film, while Tunisian filmmaker Ridha Behi (whose "Les Anges" was a Directors Fortnight selection at the 1985 Cannes film fest) receives the proper credit on screen. Another oddity is that Christie's singing voice is dubbed in the jazz mode by no less than Chan Parker and Kim Parker.