This is a feel good movie. It's probably what people call indie as well. The two leads are interesting rather than sparkling with wit or any sort of challenge. This is basically a movie about garnering friendships and contacts in a foreign land. It's sweet. There are some good cultural moments. It is, however, very slow paced. The problem is that once the young reporter is down and settled in Somalia then, as far as it goes watching a movie, all the built up tension and great charm of the lead in just kind of fizzles out. He's in no danger at all for most of the time, and only very slight danger when meeting warlords, which in any case, fails to be transcribed to the screen. There's an interesting and original soundtrack. We could have heard more of that, as there was a real talent there for sound fitting moment. The photography was capable, but never really became cinematography, if you know what I mean. I would have loved to have seen more of the towns, the people, the farms, the insects and birds, and especially the coast. For a movie about a wide open desert country and a people dependant on fishing there was a conspicuous lack of sightseeing. The lead was young, true, but still managed to irritate rather than captivate with his constantly malfunctioning recorder. OK, I've had my little go at it. For all its laidback pedestrianism, The Prates of Somalia is an important cultural moment, as it captures an adventure (which was brave) that was to become highly significant to the future of an entire people, and is definitely quietly enjoyable, particularly if you are a lover of adventure and cultural experience.
Review of The Pirates of Somalia
