Atlantics Review

 
In Dakar, a group of construction workers abandon their work on a sky-scraper in response to months of withheld wages. The group then seeks better opportunities as they take to the sea. At the heart of the narrative are lovers Suleiman and Ada who must contend with Ada's betrothal to another man.
NRProduction Companies: Ad Vitam, Les Films du Bal, Frakas Productions, CinekapDistributor: NetflixRuntime: 1 Hour and 44 MinutesDirector: Mati DiopScreenwriters: Mati Diop, Olivier DemangelCast: Mame Bineta Sane, Amadou Mbow, Ibrahima TraoréRelease Date: November 15, 2019
Earlier this year, director Mati Diop made her feature debut at Cannes with this little film called Atlantics. It went on to receive the Grand Prix Award, the second-most prestigious prize after the Palme d'Or, making her the first Black female director to ever win such an illustrious award. It immediately got picked up by Netflix, which has gotten so good at distributing foreign movies. Last year they acquired Roma which was one of 2018’s best movies, so it makes sense for them to pick up this Cannes hit, especially since NEON snatched the grand winner, Parasite.I went into Atlantics completely blind during TIFF and I was pleasantly surprised by it. Set in the West African country of Senegal, a group of unpaid construction workers quit their jobs and go to sea. Meanwhile, the fate of the romance between a young couple, a worker named Suleiman and a strong-willed woman named Ada, is at stake. He must find work at sea and she is intended for an arranged marriage with a wealthy suitor. That is all you need to know. Don’t look for any more information about this movie. Go in cold because a delightful turn comes through and cranks the enticement of the plot up to an 11 while maintaining a grounded atmosphere.
It was literally nothing that I was expecting at all and it’s kinda hard to describe. The genre-blending bombshell twist that occurs straps you in for quite a ride. There is soooooooooo much more to the film’s narrative that is unexpectedly creative and engaging and is worth the recommendation alone. Believe me, I was disassociating a bit because this was like, the third movie I had watched on that particular day and it woke me UP. I still remember going, “Wait, is this a [redacted] story? Holy crap, this is a [redacted] story!” I gotta hand it to Diop for perfectly delivering the element of surprise in a type of romance that you don’t really see today, and when you do, it’s either schmatzy or poorly written. In the case of Atlantics it prospers from a phenomenal set of characters who are distinctively well-characterized in the spiritual vein of something Shakespearean, like Romeo and Juliet in a contemporary urbanized African setting that many can connect with. The romance between the leads are strong and you sympathize with their desperate longing for one another, especially once shit hits the fan for them. The story is primarily focused on Ada and her personal journey to reunite with her love and claim her independence in the midst of this mystery that plagues her city of Dekar. This is lead actress’ Mame Bineta Sane’s first feature and she’s great at displaying the down-to-earth realness of a person navigating her life. Because of this being such an underrepresented area in film, the entire thing has an authentic vibe where all the characters feel like real people. Diop’s camera lingers on the characters as she lets her performers release their emotions. You can easily read everyone’s wants and desires just by their movements and expressions. The men in the city are aggressive and demanding and the women trying to survive are independent masters of their own fate. One of the reasons why Ada is such an engaging character is that she’s bold enough to speak her mind and can dodge punches thrown her way in this mystery she's thrusted in. 
There’s nothing wrong with the movie per se. It’s tight and well-written, but it’s also pretty simple, which might throw some viewers off. It’s extremely simplistic and when the genre twist kicks in where it becomes more supernatural, it still retains its simplicity. The narrative is straightforward, even down to the mystery, but it’s the execution and the meaning behind it that makes it so alluring to watch. Any other filmmaker would’ve made a mess of the different genre elements, possibly emphasizing one genre far too much and losing sight of the story. On the other hand, Diop keeps everything at a perfect base, knowing the core of her narrative and delivering it with full confidence in what she wants to say. Yeah, there are some pacing issues. The film is slow and some scenes are a bit dragged out, especially when it focuses on a detective whose role becomes an intricate part of the story. Besides that, the film has a light and buoyant tone that is well-executed, balancing serious drama with genuine comical moments. It’s a realist drama without a doubt and maintains that consistency throughout. It doesn’t try to say more than what it wants; it just tells a story, gets in, gets out, that’s it, finito. I enjoyed this. 3.5 stars! Rating: 3.5/5 | 77%