Atlantics

Atlantics tells a story of young love and unbearable loss against the backdrop of economic inequality and financial desperation that leads young men to risk their lives attempting to cross sea to a better life and the women who are left behind to cope alone. Great performances from the leads and haunting cinematography- an original take on a tragic story.

This film takes a sad story, makes it personal, then takes it to a whole other place. This film is for the women who are left behind, beautifully filmed and acted, one of the most original films of the year.

A calm, contemplative, unpredictable, immersive & quietly hypnotising love story perforated with supernatural elements yet firmly rooted in Senegal's social reality, Mati Diop's debut feature is a silent meditation on love, loss, migration, mortality & ghostly interventions that expertly balances the real with the spectral to deliver a cinematic experience that's as ethereal as it is enigmatic.

Winner of the Grand Prix at last year's Cannes Film Festival, Atlantics presents its debutant director employing a methodical approach to realise her deftly layered script on screen and her execution is neat & sophisticated. Also, her serene touch adds a soothing quality to the images, while unhurried pace provides the viewers ample time to acquaint themselves with its world & characters.

However, despite the intriguing premise & interesting social commentary, Atlantics is unable to make us invest in the romance that unfolds at its centre. It's supposed to be the main plot yet feels secondary to other things at play, and the characters aren't as compelling as the world they live in. Nevertheless, for a debut effort, it is a polished piece of subdued storytelling that starts Mati Diop's directorial journey on a promising note.

Nobody told me this was that good. Ok, a lot of people said it was good, but not THAT good.

Some pacing issues on the first act and could have been even more critical of the ones responsible for these situations, but the message is all there. At the same time, a beautiful love story in a very beautiful movie, very well shot (magnificent cinematography) and with great acting from all the actors. I really liked the atmosphere and the very African feeling in terms of traditions and beliefs.

If, like me, you enjoy the likes of José Saramago, Isabel Allende, and Gabriel García Márquez you are going to instantly LOVE this film. But even if you're not a fan of the genre, it will only take a tiny step of surrender to the mesmerizing sound of the ocean (almost constantly in the background, when not in the foreground of the story) for you to be completely transported.

The core components of the story are universal; primordial even: young love, separation, injustice and punishment.

This is just as much a love story as it is a story about standing one's ground and restoring moral justice. It's just as much deeply personal as it is social. For Ada, the protagonist, a young woman separated from her first love and forced into an arranged marriage, it's a matter of coming-of-age and finding her voice. For the community, it's a matter of being faced with the consequences of social injustice and a rotten system.

Both visually and in terms of storytelling, the balance between realism and the magical/supernatural element is perfect. So is the balance between the macroscopic (the vast ocean, the expansive urban landscape dominated by a giant ominous tower, the community at large) and the microscopic (the small objects that play a central role in the story - a locket, a phone, a pair of handcuffs - and the inner struggles of the protagonists - Ada, Souleiman, the detective).

The result is poetic and haunting and cathartic in the end.