![]() Ramin Bahrani’s Fahrenheit 451, which airs on HBO Saturday night, updates Bradbury’s dystopia for the social-media age, meaning that television is no longer bringing about the downfall of civilization: the internet is. The 1953 book features a woman whose entire life revolves around her “interactions” with actors whose shows take up three full walls of her living room-an immersive kind of entertainment unheard of in Bradbury’s time, but commonplace now. Still, this is a wild ride along the razor’s edge that may drop out from under you at any moment.How do you make a television movie out of a book whose premise is that televised entertainment is destroying humanity? Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury told LA Weekly in 2007, is a warning against an age of factoids, of rolling cable-news chyrons, of attention spans so fried that what he once called our “hopscotching existence” makes it impossible to sit still with a novel. Also, a few more mishaps along the way to the conclusion may have rounded out the narrative better, which feels a little rushed at 76 minutes. While it may sound crass to suggest altering your artistic vision to the demands of how the film is distributed, Bantú Mama provides ample evidence as to why that is a good idea. Such a shame, as once we get to the drugs, we are off to the races at a breakneck pace.Īlso, why the long build-up when the premise is already publicized? We don’t bond with Emma until she is in trouble for smuggling drugs anyway. ![]() With streaming, chances are anyone who leaves during this long ramp up will not come back. If this was being broadcast on T.V., then one may flip through channels and then come back to it when the story finally begins. In the age of streaming, this is potentially deadly. However, we are left without a reason to keep watching unless we dig watching strangers on holiday. Now, I respect Herrera’s intentions, as seeing Albrecht get ready and hit the resort as a normal vacationer lets us get to bond with her character without judgment. The only major gaping flaw is the meandering first ten minutes before the drugs come out. The family drama at the heart of this film is throbbingly strong thanks to the cast. She is a genuine star, a tough girl for the new century. Javiel is bubbling with wonder despite the downward pressures of poverty. His acceptance of his dead-end destiny is heartbreaking. Perez only hints at the child still left when he acts hard. The child actors turn in some phenomenal work. She makes you feel all the corners Emma finds herself backed into. Albrecht does an excellent job of presenting a very complex and imperfect person. Meanwhile, the police hunt the crime-infested district for Emma, who sees danger rising on the horizon.īantú Mama is also engaging due to its top-class performances. notices Emma’s positive influence on him. Little Cuki is fascinated with her and her ties to the Bantu tribe, while T.I.N.A. ![]() While $hulo gets deeper into the gang life that rules the streets, Emma becomes a surrogate parent to the kids. (Scarlet Reyes), the older boy $hulo (Arturo Perez), and the younger Cuki (Euris Javiel). The three kids live in an abandoned dwelling and are the streetwise little girl T.I.N.A. She is rescued by a pack of children who hide her from the police. She secretly accepts some drug-laced luggage but gets busted by customs in the Dominican Republic.Īfter a daring escape, Emma makes her way to Santo Domingo, the most dangerous neighborhood on the island. Written by Herrera and star Clarisse Albrecht, the film is about Emma (Albrecht), a French woman of Cameroonian descent seemingly on vacation at a tropical resort. NOW ON NETFLIX! Alert the authorities, as Dominican director Ivan Herrera is smuggling a family drama hidden inside his crime thriller Bantú Mama.
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