Saint-Jacques... La Mecque (2005)

Three siblings who detest each other and hiking must complete together a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in order to be eligible to inherit their mother's wealth.

Director:

Coline Serreau

Writer:

Coline Serreau (scenario)

Stars:

Muriel Robin, Artus de Penguern, Jean-Pierre Darroussin

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Muriel Robin	...	Clara
Artus de Penguern	...	Pierre
Jean-Pierre Darroussin	...	Claude
Pascal Légitimus	...	Guy
Marie Bunel	...	Mathilde
Marie Kremer	...	Camille
Flore Vannier-Moreau	...	Elsa
Aymen Saïdi	...	Ramzi
Nicolas Cazalé	...	Saïd
Hélène Vincent	...	La soeur
Michel Lagueyrie	...	Curé du presbytère
Anik Belaubre	...	La vieille dame
Anne Kessler	...	Edith
Olivier Claverie	...	Le notaire
Marie Allan	...	Sarah

Storyline

Three siblings who detest each other and hiking must complete together a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in order to be eligible to inherit their mother's wealth.

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Plot Keywords:

no cell phone signal | pilgrimage | f rated | snoring | last will with stipulation | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [France]

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

12 October 2005 (France)

Also Known As:

Agios Iakovos... I Mekka

Filming Locations:

Acebo, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Téléma, France 2 Cinéma, Eniloc Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

French visa # 109287.

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Goofs

The scene where Pierre makes a phone call amidst the cows outside the hostel is clearly a rather poorly concealed day-for-night scene. Pierre blinks when he steps outside, blinded by the sun (and he keeps doing it throughout the scene) and the cows are standing up and moving around, which they wouldn't if it were truly night (they'd be lying down).

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Soundtracks

Fantaise en so majeur, BWV 572
Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Michel Chapuis
(p) 1969 Naïve

User Reviews

adolescent contemporary fantasy

Hallucinogenic alienation and left-wing schmaltz during a trek on ancient Christian pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, shrine of Santiago Matamoros - Saint James the Moor-Killer. One plot line revolves around two young men of Arabic descent who speak French and their relationship with their traveling companions. These people are indigenous French equally étranger to Christianity or at any rate very open-minded indeed. Another theme concerns three older siblings who must go on this particular pilgrimage in order to collect an inheritance. One of these is a state-supported alcoholic who receives no ascertainable spiritual or social benefit from the effort. Another is an uptight conservative sans social conscience who magically awakens to his plight through no other means than simply suffering a bit of discomfort and outward bound-type group bonding. The third is a dedicated socialist teacher well versed in Christian-baiting. At a later date she is apparently ready to "screw the rich" (as discussed earlier in a tender moment) via Eurabic alliances bolstered by her Christian mother's money. The movie is interspersed with inchoate dream sequences meant to rival Christian grandeur but merely succeeds in reminding this viewer of the increasingly banal nihilism of European elites. Clever plot full of modernist irony, beautiful scenery of France and Spain, and multicultural sentimentality only residents of the wealthier Parisian arrondissements could love.