The great thing about watching a movie that slipped by under the radar, and that one watches without so much as checking a one-line premise, is that it can be viewed with as much objectivity as is possible.
We meet a lot of characters, and get a lot of hints of activity, from the start, but there's no meaningful suggestion of plot until 29 minutes in, and up to that point it's much wondering of "Well, okay, but what is this for?" 'Bayou caviar' happily takes its time to go anywhere. One could call it a slow burn, but it's more like the gradual rot of a dead body in the oppressive Louisianan heat - and it never truly picks up.
And like that sweltering decomposition, the story being told here is unseemly, and reeking of murder, conspiracy, sex, and exploitation. It's not particularly pleasant, and the characters herein are at best dubious if not altogether slimy. Yet it's hard to not keep watching to see just exactly where it all ends up.
The cast embodies their characters well, believably portraying the muck their roles swim in. Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s turn as washed-up boxer Rodney is a portrayal of aggrieved sleaze quite different from anything he's done before. I especially enjoy Famke Janssen as hard-bitten photographer Nic; the spite and desperation she puts across is one of the most immediately noteworthy elements of the whole picture.
That's not to say that 'Bayou caviar' is bad. Far from it - I quite liked this movie. But it's distinctly understated, with every act of sex and violence, and many of the performances, captured on film with the cold calculation of a distant neutral observer. We see the events transpire, yet there's little emotional attachment to the miasma on show - save, perhaps, for inherent disgust at the treatment of young Kat (Lia Marie Johnson).
I understand that this was Gooding Jr.'s first time serving as director, and his first writing credit, too. I do rather hope it's not his last: The subject matter, slow pace, and downplayed story beats mark this as a feature that won't sit well with everyone. But I think 'Bayou caviar' is a fine slow burn thriller, well worth checking out if one has the chance.
We meet a lot of characters, and get a lot of hints of activity, from the start, but there's no meaningful suggestion of plot until 29 minutes in, and up to that point it's much wondering of "Well, okay, but what is this for?" 'Bayou caviar' happily takes its time to go anywhere. One could call it a slow burn, but it's more like the gradual rot of a dead body in the oppressive Louisianan heat - and it never truly picks up.
And like that sweltering decomposition, the story being told here is unseemly, and reeking of murder, conspiracy, sex, and exploitation. It's not particularly pleasant, and the characters herein are at best dubious if not altogether slimy. Yet it's hard to not keep watching to see just exactly where it all ends up.
The cast embodies their characters well, believably portraying the muck their roles swim in. Cuba Gooding, Jr.'s turn as washed-up boxer Rodney is a portrayal of aggrieved sleaze quite different from anything he's done before. I especially enjoy Famke Janssen as hard-bitten photographer Nic; the spite and desperation she puts across is one of the most immediately noteworthy elements of the whole picture.
That's not to say that 'Bayou caviar' is bad. Far from it - I quite liked this movie. But it's distinctly understated, with every act of sex and violence, and many of the performances, captured on film with the cold calculation of a distant neutral observer. We see the events transpire, yet there's little emotional attachment to the miasma on show - save, perhaps, for inherent disgust at the treatment of young Kat (Lia Marie Johnson).
I understand that this was Gooding Jr.'s first time serving as director, and his first writing credit, too. I do rather hope it's not his last: The subject matter, slow pace, and downplayed story beats mark this as a feature that won't sit well with everyone. But I think 'Bayou caviar' is a fine slow burn thriller, well worth checking out if one has the chance.