——-
Released 31st July 2009
——-
———
There are very few times in this role when you get to experience a truly refreshing piece of comedy, and all too often this means venturing into foreign-language film territory. Eccentric performance artists Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy’s latest film, Rumba, is one such unique example that concentrates on body language, rather than the spoken word, to tell a wonderful tale of contemporary love by drawing on the fascinating communication of mime or burlesque poetry.
———
In a delightfully physical and, at times, hypnotic and beautifully choreographed performance Abel and Gordon deliver a simple narrative: A happy couple (Dom and Fiona) who share a passion for Latin dancing find their existence turned upside down after a car accident, caused by a haphazard, suicidal man (played by a hilarious Philippe Martz), where one of them loses a limb and the other loses their memory. What follows is a profoundly animated and entertaining sequence of events that reunites them through their unfaltering, but bruised love. This is all shot in fixed-frame, theatrical style that successfully concentrates the viewer’s attention on the self-mockery of the situation.
——
Abel, Gordon and Romy, who plays a crazed pain au chocolat thief, have brilliantly taken the art of silent picture making and crafted it into their own style, injecting odd lines of dialogue, much like a ‘Laurel and Hardy’ for the present-day audience. We thrive on the enchanting clumsiness of the leads, in contrast to their synchronised, pre-accident existence that fuels our enthusiasm to see a satisfactory conclusion for the unlucky pair. All this is magically brought to life by the vibrant 1950s’ Cuban musical choice at the start, emphasising the couple’s passion for life, dance and each other.
——–
The film-makers’ fun shooting the film on location in northern France translates completely onto screen, as they bring their universally accessible spectacle to an international audience. A desire for originality and pure ‘clowning around’, slapstick humour makes this little film a really unusual, but satisfying gem to watch.
——
By Lisa Keddie
——-
Synopsis
——-
Fiona and Dom are teachers at a rural school. They share a passion for Latin dance and they’re deeply in love. On weekends, they enter dance competitions around the country. Their house is crammed with trophies.
——–
One night, as they are coming back from a competition, they encounter a man on a clumsy suicide mission, standing in the middle of the road. They swerve to avoid him, crash into a wall and their life is thrown into turmoil…
——–
Film Facts
——
Official site: http://www.networkreleasing.com/microsite/rumba/
UK Release Date: 31st July 2009
Directors: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy
Writers: Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy
Cast: Dominique Abel (’Dom’), Fiona Gordon (’Fiona’), Bruno Romy (’Le voleur de pain au chocolat’), Philippe Martz (’Gérard’)
Distributor: Network Releasing
Certificate: PG
Run-time: 77 mins
-
Video on Real.com
-
Trailer:
——–
—–
