| A feast for the eyes, not the brain Rumba may not have the most solid script, but it's dazzling to watch
B
| RUMBA
April 10-12, 7 p.m., Cinematheque
Lightweight and infectious, this Belgian-French co-production, starring and directed by Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon and Bruno Romy, is a dance extravaganza from start to finish.
Although closer to silent-film comedy on the surface, Rumba has more in common with classical musicals in the way it emphasizes toe-tapping and body movements rather than slapstick. The film adopts and then exhausts a comic idea until it runs out of steam, and fills in any gaps with elaborate dance numbers.
The plot is as pure as the film's prevalent use of primary colours: Fiona, a school teacher, is married to Abel. The two are dedicated rumba enthusiasts with a mantle full of trophies. On the way home from a competition, there's an offscreen accident that results in a missing leg for Fiona and full-blown amnesia for Dominique.
The rest of the picture divvies up the screen-time equally, as Fiona returns to her classroom and Abel flounders at home, attempting to jog his memory.
Add in a curious subplot involving a man seemingly incapable of committing suicide (Romy), and Rumba is bereft of story surprises.
Fortunately, the garishly eccentric set design by Nicholas Girault more than makes up for the anemic script. Tangy yellows, deep reds, and vivid blues can be seen just about everywhere, particularly in Fiona and Dominique's vast wardrobe.
Authentic 1960s rumba music is used sporadically, but all other sound effects have been stripped in order to add to the vibrantly minimalist approach. No part, whether sound, performance, or visual cue, is larger than the whole.
Abel, Gordon and Romy's background is mostly in touring burlesque shows, but this isn't its first stab at feature filmmaking (2004's The Iceberg is). By all accounts, Rumba is a step up from that work. Its major asset may just be the variations on bits from the group's supposedly dazzling stage show.
— Aaron Graham |
Uptown
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