Hideous Kinky (1998)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Gillies MacKinnon

Writers:

Esther Freud (novel)
Billy MacKinnon (writer)

Release Date:

26 April 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

It's not just an adventure... It's a love affair.

Plot:

Hideous Kinky is the story of two sisters (seven and five years old) traveling with their hippie mother from London to Morocco in the late 60's...

Plot Keywords:

Hippie | Sister | Morocco | Topless | Camel

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Kate Winslet	...	Julia
Saïd Taghmaoui	...	Bilal
Bella Riza	...	Bea
Carrie Mullan	...	Lucy
Pierre Clémenti	...	Santoni
Abigail Cruttenden	...	Charlotte
Ahmed Boulane	...	Ben Said
Sira Stampe	...	Eva
Amidou	...	Sufi Sheikh
Michelle Fairley	...	Patricia
Kevin McKidd	...	Henning
Peter Youngblood Hills	...	Hippy
Mohcine Barmouni	...	Aziz
Annouar Zrika	...	Hicham
Mohamed Cherkaoui	...	Hadaoui

Also Known As:

Marrakech express (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality and language.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English | French | Arabic

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:6 | Italy:T | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:PG (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Marrakech, Morocco

Company:

AMLF

Trivia:

The title of the film and book comes from the only two words the two girls remember their mum's friend saying "Hideous" and "Kinky". Bea in particular uses the words in a game that the girls play which is similar to "tag" but if she shouts "Hideous Kinky" before her sister tags her she is free.

Quotes:

Julia: So, how was your first day at school?
Bea: Well, a little girl wet herself.
Julia: [laughs] And?
Bea: The teacher took her to the front of the class
[pause]
Bea: and beat her
[pause]
Bea: and beat her with a cane
[pause]
Bea: until she stopped crying and than she beat her some more
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Alone Again Or

Warm and Colourful

Kate Winslet and her young co-stars are charming in this film. The children have some priceless scenes which are faultlessly acted and leave you wishing that you could encounter such vibrant children in real life instead of the ones prone to throwing tantrums in crowded shopping malls.

The story drifts all over the place - more of a string of events meandering along in search of a purpose, much like Winslet's character. The scenery is stunning, the colours of Morrocco vibrant and the glimpse into another culture is well executed. A fine film to watch if you want visual stimulation, but don't wish to concentrate on a complex story.