marianaruiz1982
I bumped into this film on television rather unexpectedly. I've never seen L.A. Confidential so I can't say I'm a fan of Kim Basinger. But as soon as I saw the photography I just couldn't take my eyes off the TV. This is a beautiful film about a farm in Kenya where there are no mosquitoes or infectious deceases. It's about a woman in her forties trying not to get her second husband killed every time he goes away hunting or her teenager son poisoned by one of his pet snakes. So as far as I'm concerned about the characters there's not much to say but it's still a visually stunning film with some rain and maybe a storm or two throughout the whole film. Althougt, I have to admit that the actors did their best with what they had and made me cry one too many times. The children gave a spark of happiness to the feeling that you know terrible things are about to happen to the main characters. In the end, it's a sad film with a message of love of nature in savage Africa brought to us by superb Basinger and Vincent Perez, who by the way I just love since "La Reine Margot".
Carl Abrams
Having read all of the negative comments about this movie - and having just wasted a few hours of my life by watching it - I can pretty much say that they're ALL true.The scenery is great, but I think my wife said it all. During the windstorm scene, she remarked, "What a tough place to live. Why would they continue to want to live there?"Why did they continue to want to make this movie? 5 stars for scenery, 1/2 star for acting ability, which was SORELY lacking.This probably would have been a good book - something about perseverance in the face of tragedy and everything that nature throws at you - but for a movie to plod along like this without you ever really caring about the characters **Spoiler** such as when the husband is robbed - his emotion and her face as she held him were just NOT there.
Flamio
I've seen thousands of movies over the years, many good, many bad, and some that just make me wish I would've just shoveled snow naked instead. This film was the latter. Yes, it was painful to sit through. Very painful. I really had high hopes for this film. I was looking forward to relaxing to a good nature flick that had some excitement as well. One with a good plot. Forget it here! I kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting, but nothing. There were tons of opportunities too. But nothing. A few things kept going through my head as I watched this movie: 1) Hollywood losers trying to make a point. 2)Bleeding heart liberal conservationist using this as a vehicle, and 3)Chick flick. Not even just a chick flick, but a chick flick written by a chick! Man, I'm still hurting! I hate it when 4,000 babies are being aborted a day in the USA, and yet I'm supposed to cry over a dead rhino which is far more important in their eyes. Yes, many have missed the point in life, especially you Kim. Ok, Basinger still looks good in her upper 40's, and I applaud her at not using tons of facelifts like most of Hollywood past 40, but that's the only reason this film gets a 1/10 from me! Hello folks, there's a reason this film has been given 68 1/10's! Keep reading...From the get go it was lost. A bunch of rich people living in Italy and none seemed to be Italian. They're loser theatre types out drinking and heading to a bar late at night. Hymph, accurate there at least. An accident and it's time for a change. Let's get married and move to Kenya! Hello!! They go from pampered to no running water or A.C., ya, right! On another note, that lead actors accent, it was enough to make me rip my eardrums out! Ugh, please get it out of my head!!! I don't know what country he was from. Kim (Kuki), or Kooky, which is more accurate, is having a hard time adjusting to rough Africa life, but hangs in there. She worries about her husband going out too much with the boys, and danger...he of course dies. The funeral, and Kim's first painful written speech. Her boy grows up, she tells him not to raise poisonous snakes, he gets bit, he dies. Kims second and even more painful funeral poem/speech. Ugh, thankfully I had some pudding to eat and the fast forward button. Kim's Mom keeps flying in to the funerals. It's Eva Marie Saint, and boy, she hasn't aged well at all. In fact, the dead rhino looked better. Sorry Eva. At one point their jeep gets stuck in the mud (of course after Mom warns her) and she steps out into a puddle and wrecks her new gucci's. Ya, gucci's in wild Africa, oh, I forgot, us idiots had to be reminded they were rich socialites from Italy! Oyvay!!! Kim also informs some local tribal chief of poachers killing the poor Elephants and Rhinos..You have to see this guy, man, what poor typecasting! He reminds me of the black guy from Crocodile Dundee II, all cool and suave. My gosh, he's supposed to be a tribal chief living in a 130 degree hut!!! Plus, he's wearing shades and not sweating!! A black guy not sweating in the African heat, give me a break! I really can't go on, man, this film totally stunk! Period! Not even Kim's shirt falling off from behind could save it. Force the director, the lead actors, the casting agent, and all involved to live there for the rest of their lives! Flamio, and I'm out!
esteban1747
It is always nice to admire the Kenyan landscape, its wildlife, and the eternal Masai tribe in films, that's what I like from this film, which drama does not give anything new of what we have seen in other films of this type, such as "Out of Africa" (1985) of the director Sydney Pollack or the recent "Nirgendwo in Afrika" (2001). The tragedy is similar to the first mentioned film and the environment is also the same as in the two previous films. Even the love of Kukiu Gallmann for Kenya is similar to the one felt by Karen Blixen-Finecke (Meryl Streep) in Out of Africa, and Jettel Redlich in Nirgendwo in Afrika. The film is acceptable and interesting to see because of the Kenyan ingredients but the drama does not provide anything new. However, Kim Basinger acted very well.
