Glimmering and stunning adventure/dramedy film concerning a group of friends taking on a dangerous journey . A letter from Tombuctu, Mali , revealing his old friend Joseba is very ill , moves to Tocho (Hovik Keuchkerian) -who works in Bilbao's docklands- to travel France for meeting his old friend Jean Pierre (Jean Reno) . Both of whom are jointed by the rebel and misguided Ely (Susana Abaitua) , Joseba's daughter , and all of them travel from Spain to Mali to meet Ely's dying father for the last time . As they set out in meeting their lifelong friend, estranged of their youth days , as long time ago they three traveled from Spain to Tombuctu to sell race cars . Nowadays , Joseba (Enrique San Francisco) who established himself in Mali, and there married an African woman , is very sick . All of them travel to Cadiz to cross in ship the Strait of Gibraltar, arriving Ceuta. From there , go passing the Sahara desert to arrive in Tombuctu to find the estranged father and friend Joseba . Along the way , they are detained at a custom control , deceived by Tuaregs , and , eventually , they are stunned by a young African stowaway named Mamadou (Juan Dos Santos) who was hidden into the car.
This fun story focuses the trio of friends knowing a letter about a dying colleague , it forces them to make a radical change on their lives , as tired of their bored and routine existences and leaving their jobs , they carry out a risked voyage throughout a barren desert , fighting against the perilous natural environment , and lack of water . In this well worth seeing picture there is nostalgic friendship , humor , drama , action , thrills and riveting landscapes . Four protagonists are frankly fabulous , and another starring is a 1982's Renault 4 modified as race car from the first days of Paris-Dakar Rally. As the excellent actors give nice performances , such as : Hovik Keuchkerian as a rude and bad-manners Basque , Jean Reno as the sympathetic and kind French veteran , as well as the good-natured but rebellious and mistaken young daughter played by Susana Abaitua . Adding other fine secondaries as the lost African Juan Dos Santos , Arturo Valls as a Spaniard street drug dealer and Francesc Garrido an old illegal trader who has old unfinished business with Jean Pierre . All interpretations of actors are top-notch , but especial mention for the veteran Enrique San Francisco who is really extraordinary , delivering one of his final roles .
Cinematography by cameraman Gonzaga Manson is awesome , like is well reflected on the spectacular and breathtaking scenarios . Sensational musical score with 13 beautiful songs sung by Pajaro Sunrise , including charming songs like "Shooting stars on the road to Timbuktu" and "See you soon" . The picture was competently directed by Gerardo Olivares who is an expert filming documentaries : Caravana , Marcos , el lobo , Dos Cataluñas, among others . In his life, Gerardo Olivares has been in more than 100 countries and filmed over than 80 documentaries, many of them in Africa . All this has been collected in his documentaries, sold all over the world for the most important television channels . Since 2006, Gerardo Olivares changes the documentaries for fiction movies and he will be known for La Gran Final (2006) , 14 Kilómetros (2007) , Entrelobos (2010),El Faro de las Orcas , Hermanos del viento and 4 Latas (2018) . The movie will appeal to lovers of the nature and dramedy enthusiasts and to Jean Reno fans . Rating : 7/10 . Notable , better than average . Good, worthwhile seeing.
57% - Critics
33% - Audience
5.9Keywords: road tripmale friendshipintercultural relationshipsahara desertsahara
Plot summary
Tocho is a rude in bad manners Basque who works in Bilbao's docklands as night watch. Tired of his bored and routine life, a letter from Tombuctu, Mali, forces him to make a radical change: leaving his job, Tocho travels France for meeting Jean Pierre, a lifelong friend, estranged of their youth days. There Tocho tells Jean Pierre that Joseba, their other lifelong friend with who they three traveled from Spain to Tombuctu years ago to sell race cars and who he established there in Mali ten years ago, is dying. Reluctant, Jean Pierre accepts Tocho's plan to travel Mali to meet Joseba before it be too late. They two visit Ely, Joseba's newly adult daughter to ask her of going with them. Despite the bad and absent relation between Ely and her father, she decides to make the journey in the hope to fix her disastrous life, but instead to take a flight from Spain to Mali, Ely reveals Tocho and Jean Pierre her biggest secret: a 1982's Renault 4 modified as race car from the first days of Paris-Dakar Rally, that Joseba acquired years ago previously to moved Mali. After to test that it's in perfect conditions, the three down to Cadiz to cross in ship the Strait of Gibraltar, arriving Ceuta. Therefore, the travel starts to give bad signals from the beginning: Tocho despises openly Ely by her rebel attitude, while Jean Pierre rediscovers his sensibility to desert and heat. For more complications, Tocho's decision to accept Soriano (a Spaniard street drug dealer who lives in the city) to travel with them to Tombuctu ends with all arrested in a custom control. Free after a treat with the cop, the group leaves behind Soriano and travels by the Sahara to the next custom, where get to cross it after a long wait just to learn time later that a young black stowaway African named Mamadou is hide in the car. With the water consuming slowly and Jean Pierre each time more ill, the situation worsen in unexpected ways after to be robbed by a Tuareg named Akly at night after to meet him this same evening, forcing them to visit Alain's house, an old illegal trader who has old unfinished business to solve with Jean Pierre. With Joseba as narrator of his thoughts about life, death, world and people, the travel changes Tocho, Ely and Jean Pierre, rediscovering the pleasure to be alive and the second chances.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
An entertaining and attractive road movie across the Sahara desert , filmed on natural sets and colorful outdoors
A Decent Lackluster Uneventful Movie
07/26/2019 Proficient actors playing out an uneventful storyline. Nothing of merit happens until the always predictable "Happy Hollywood Ending". 5 or 6 stars is it's full value, even with Jean Reno as the lead/come on/draw. Simply a road trip with a twist, in this movie it's a "Desert Trip". A one time watch only. Bon Appetit
Lots of Fun!!
A great road movie set in Africa. Two old friends decide to set out to visit a companion they traveled with decades ago who is now apparently dying in Timbuktu. They pick up his his long estranged daughter and set forth. There is adventure and mis-adventure as they pick up an assortment of different characters on the road.