Three middle-aged women go to a Haitian resort to sample the sun, sand, and sex. But two of them have eyes for the same boy toy and complications arise.
Brenda (Karen Young) is a woman in her forties who is heading to a Haitian resort because when she visited there with her then husband she had an encounter with a younger man and has been obsessed about it ever since. She wants to return and rekindle those feelings again. Ellen (Charlotte Rampling) is British but teaches at a Boston prep school and comes to the island every summer.
Sue (Louise Portal) is a Canadian factory worker who also comes to the island because it’s easier for middle-aged women to get men on the island. Albert (Lys Ambroise) is the head waiter at the resort. Brenda and Ellen find that they’re both obsessing over the same man, Legba (Menothy Cesar). This will lead toe Brenda and Ellen being in competition of each other, but since Legba has troubles of his own, it will also lead to tragedy.
Though the island is made to look like a paradise this only extends to the resort of the tourists. The rest of Haiti is impoverished and lives under an oppressive government. The women are able to create a little bit of paradise for themselves because those with even a little money are able to live like kings in a land with nothing. IN the beginning, an anonymous woman begs Albert to take her fifteen year old daughter with him since the government’s men took her husband in the middle of the night. Desperate people in desperate times with no hope.
There are several moments for each of our main characters, except Legba, to use the camera as a confessional as to their reasons on the island. This bit reminded me of one of those reality shows. The film could’ve probably done without this gimmick. Charlotte Rampling provides a good performance and the film is interesting, but I really didn’t invest too much in the characters.
These “rich” ladies use their wealth (wealthier than these destitute, desperate Haitians) to exploit the young men of the island. Not that the young men are exactly suffering, but you still feel they’re taking advantage of them. It makes ya feel kinda dirty. By the end of the film the women have changed and have been affected by what has happened on the island and not all endings are happy ones. Everyone will leave the island having been affected by what goes on during this vacation season. Not all things that happen in Haiti stays in Haiti.
Heading South is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. There are not special features, but for some trailers for other Genius Entertainment DVDs.
The ladies do provide some good acting, especially Charlotte Rampling, but I really didn’t invest too much in the story. I’m not so sure that I exactly sympathized with these ladies and how they used the Haitians and really didn’t expect there to be consequences. It might make an interesting rental if the story intrigues you.
Heading South is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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