Popular reviews

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  Review by Allison M. 🌱 ★★★★ 1

  Elza is a young woman who seeks out the father she never knew, coming from Paris and going to the island of Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. Stana Roumillac plays the titular character and is an absolute revelation. I am surprised that this movie came out nine years ago and has been barely watched or talked about.

  Elza goes to her father's house and it's clear she won't gain access to him. When mistaken for a nanny for a younger relative, Caroline (Eva Constant), she poses as "Marie-Line", a woman who was supposed to be coming from an agency. She recalls memories and becomes close to Caroline, fending off advances from Bernard (Christophe Cherki), a member of the household.

  Perhaps I'd recommend the film to woman who are into soul searching and self-discovery, but I truly believe that this film could be appealing to all.

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  Review by Sinjunwatchesmovies ★★

  A Film From Every Country Part 19: Guadalupe 🇬🇵 

  A solid film about finding oneself and their connection to their family and homeland. It was a bit too soap opera-y for my taste but it still was enjoyable and had a lot of heart.

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  Review by Peter H ★½

  I've never seen a soap opera, but Elza matches many of the stereotypes I'm familiar with. Convoluted schemes, hidden identities, and a pervasive preoccupation with sex without actually showing nudity (though I assume what we see here is more racy than anything on daytime American television).

  The story concerns Elza, who returns to the island of her birth against her mother's wishes. She wanders around and takes pictures of people, and then sort of stumbles / scams her way into a live-in nanny position. The house where she works is fully of terrible people who are related to each other in perfectly obscure ways. Even by the end of the film I didn't know who some of these characters were.…

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  Review by Sumner Forbes ★★

  If it wasn't for the exotic locale and impressive performance from Stana Roumillac, I'd probably have to give this one star. The majority of the performances feel elementary, and the aesthetic is akin to a Lifetime Channel made-for-TV film one would have watched in the 90's.

  Regardless, Roumillac is an exciting talent, and I hope she is able to command more leading roles in the future -- a future that is probably unlikely due to the industry's reluctance to cast women of color in important roles.

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  Review by Tyler Dean ½

  Je détesté ce film! C'est mauvais!

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  Review by julie

  j'ai dû regarder ça pour mon cours de français. c'etait intéressant….!

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  Review by Allie ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ ★★★

  Can feel very much like a Lifetime movie at times, but like any good Lifetime movie the melodrama draws you in if you’re willing to go with it. When it starts to explore Elsa’s estranged fathers inner demons, it does add some depth to the drama. Stana Roumillac’s performance was great and I’m a sucker for a cute babysitter bonding film so overall a satisfying watch.

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  Review by Karl Janssen ★★

  Director Mariette Monpierre was born on the French Carribean island of Guadeloupe and grew up in Paris. The same is true for Elza, the heroine of this story. When she graduates from college, Elza decides she wants to return to visit Guadeloupe, against her mother's wishes. When she arrives on the island, she starts spying on a wealthy family, so you know she has some kind of prior connection to them, but the exact nature of that connection isn't revealed until later.

  Much of this film is just a beautiful woman exploring a beautiful location with hip and sexy music in the background. In between these music video sequences there is a plot worthy of a telenovela and acting worthy…

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  Review by DungeonSkramz ★★

  Beyond the absurd turn of events filled with plot holes, its attempts at commentary on colorism were so blatant and trivial that most of it just boiled down to an obnoxious melodrama, though occasionally with clever transition shots.