Hyènes

Not quite as stunning as Touki Bouki, but still a marvelous piece of work. Part political parable, part thriller, and part comedy, blending all elements beautifully into a very compelling whole. It raises a host of ethical questions and the corruption of the town is handled deftly, and with wit. Some of the performances could be better, but Ami Diakhate is fascinating as the vengeful woman. And there are some wonderful touches and beautiful shots... a quality film by any standard.

The colonial allegories are about as subtle as a dropkick to the face, but I loved this and found it a lot more accessible and enjoyable than most of the (admittedly very limited) African cinema I have seen. It's at times haunting and while the commentary is obvious, it's effective and efficient. Diouf does a great job as the lead. I wasn't expecting this to grab me as much as it did. Great stuff.

An interesting tale of greed and survival, mixed with ethical dilemmas about responsibility and culpability and perverted senses of justice. There's allegorical content about colonialism, but for the most part the film's themes are more universal. The human motivations and actions in the film, both positive and negative, transcend culture. It's a good mix of dark comedy and drama, bringing levity to the deeper questions it poses.

Boring.

Wonderful film about greed, hypocrisy, and the importance of community in modern African life.