This is a love it or sleep on it slow film, which is going to make you wonder why it takes almost four hours to reach its conclusion.
The film follows Sergio who is hired by a West African nation to help with a road project. Along the way he gets involved in an intimate way with a couple from the city he is living in.
I need to say two things up front. First I like some of the director Pedro Pinho's documentaries. Yes they are told in a measured (slow) way but they work. The second thing I want to mention is that no film of any length should make you question the length. At no point should a film review mention a length, except as a courtesy (for example SATANTANGO runs over seven hours so plan accordingly). I should not be saying this film is too long and could use several sequences removed.(SATANTANGO is rambling but pulls it together)
The thing is its not that the film is bad, but a number of sequences don't seem to go anywhere. Yes they build a sense of place and character but they don't add enough. How many sequences do you need in a 211 minute film? Not to argue length but there is a point where you stop going along and wonder where is this going and why is this taking so long? The great long movies never make you question the length. Somewhere around the half way point I was still waiting for a reason for this to be taking the long way home. I completely understand the structure comes from Pinho's documentary background, but docs are not narratives and you can't always do what you can in a doc.
Again this is not a bad film, it's just one that rambles aimlessly for two hours too much. There simply isn't enough here to support more than a 100 minute film. Yes I made it to the end, but even so I still don't know why much of this film is part of this story. Yes, its good unto itself, but in the end it felt pointless.
I fully expect this film to show up at festivals in the fall and bore audiences to tears.
Only recommended for people who like long rambling films that go nowhere.
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