"Kini and Adams" is a very human movie from African director Idrissa Ouedraogo. It tells the story of the two friends of the title and their dream of leave their small town and start a new life in the city with a old car they are repairing. It's a sad comedy, very funny at moments. The acting is wonderful and the beautiful African landscape is very well filmed, with a lot of color. The movie deals with the subject of how the poverty can affect the personal relationships, and the way the director handles it remind me the Charlie Chaplin movies, whose themes are similar in a certain way. It has been a surprise for me, the African cinema is absolutely unknown in occident, and movies like this prove that it deserves more attention.
2 Reviews
Extremely human film and an excellent opportunity to get to know African cinema
ikatupe22 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Kini and Adams are longtime friends and live as small farmers in a poor rural village. For five years they fix an old broken car. Every time a traveling salesman passes through the city, the pair buy a beacon, again a door and so they clean the car.
The motivation to fix a detonated car would be enough, but they are motivated by something much bigger: they want to go to the big city and open a fleet of taxis. Adams is the most enthusiastic, kind-hearted guy who does not see the time of the dream come true. Kini is also focused on the job, but his feet are on the ground because his wife does not like the idea very much.
At the beginning of the film there is a small reflection in the air: Kini tells his wife that he wants to know the world, she asks rhetorically if the world is not there. The two soon change the subject, but I find the suggestion interesting, since the perception of the world is relative, Kini thinks that there is much more in other places, already his wife understands that it is her world there.
Following, a great work takes place near the village and hires local men. The pair soon see the chance to earn some money and anticipate the repair of the car. It starts everything in order, good salary and the friends working together. The tone begins to change when Kini is promoted to be master of works and falls in thanks of the chief contractor. Adams does not get well and is bothering as Kini changes behavior, now as in charge of friend.
The friendship of the two begins to be proved and the film gets more drawn to the drama. Until then, the story is almost all comedy, with very funny friends and situations being resolved (or not) with great joy. The entry of the money into their lives and the involvement of Adams with a prostitute make things more tense.
The photography of the film is excellent and enjoy with praise the natural light. Although we see very little about the country, it is still enough to appreciate beautiful landscapes. The direction found personality in initiating the film of funny form and to harden as the plot develops. Extremely human film and an excellent opportunity to get to know African cinema.
The motivation to fix a detonated car would be enough, but they are motivated by something much bigger: they want to go to the big city and open a fleet of taxis. Adams is the most enthusiastic, kind-hearted guy who does not see the time of the dream come true. Kini is also focused on the job, but his feet are on the ground because his wife does not like the idea very much.
At the beginning of the film there is a small reflection in the air: Kini tells his wife that he wants to know the world, she asks rhetorically if the world is not there. The two soon change the subject, but I find the suggestion interesting, since the perception of the world is relative, Kini thinks that there is much more in other places, already his wife understands that it is her world there.
Following, a great work takes place near the village and hires local men. The pair soon see the chance to earn some money and anticipate the repair of the car. It starts everything in order, good salary and the friends working together. The tone begins to change when Kini is promoted to be master of works and falls in thanks of the chief contractor. Adams does not get well and is bothering as Kini changes behavior, now as in charge of friend.
The friendship of the two begins to be proved and the film gets more drawn to the drama. Until then, the story is almost all comedy, with very funny friends and situations being resolved (or not) with great joy. The entry of the money into their lives and the involvement of Adams with a prostitute make things more tense.
The photography of the film is excellent and enjoy with praise the natural light. Although we see very little about the country, it is still enough to appreciate beautiful landscapes. The direction found personality in initiating the film of funny form and to harden as the plot develops. Extremely human film and an excellent opportunity to get to know African cinema.
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