Rico or a Guadeloupean childhood
ndlr: this is an edited version of an article published for the first time on myinsaeng.com on April 9th 2017.
It took me some time to find the right film to launch this section. I had already thought about Rico, but I was a bit reluctant. Knowing all the hype around it (it got selected in several festivals and won a few awards), and knowing that I always tend to be in the minority when it comes to sharing an opinion on movies and series (like the girl who always ships the couple you aren’t supposed to ship, that's me), I wouldn't have liked not to like it. And also, the movie was only available online and you know that online payments and I... but hey. Sometimes you have to overcome your fears. I'm glad I did.
The plot
Lucius is a 10-year-old boy from a poor Caribbean family. As Christmas approaches, he overhears his parents talking about killing Rico, his pig, on Christmas Eve. Lucius, very attached to him, will try everything to prevent this traditional sacrifice.
About nostalgia
Lucius, aka Tilulu, does everything he can to keep his pig Rico from going into the family pot during Christmas dinner. When I watch a Caribbean film in a family genre, I always wait for that very second that makes me say "I'm home" and that basically plays into whether I like it or not. Maybe that's unfair to the filmmakers, but it's my selfish right as a viewer. For me, that's what makes up the soul of the film. From the first second, Rico transported me straight to the dreary place where my grandmother lived. My 10-year-old self would have loved to tame the pink and grey piglet that lived in the wild. (for those of you who have never chased a piglet, let me tell you that it runs very fast and weighs a lot). Tilulu succeeded where I brilliantly failed. Kudos to him.
About timelessness
The 80s, 90s, or even early 2000s? It is quite difficult to date the time era in which the story is set, which shows the quality of the lokalization. Whether it is the music, the houses, the objects, the drinks, the Kréyol language, the cultural references still speak to all generations. Except for Eugene's outfits, Lynda D'Alexis uses only timeless elements to create the Guadeloupean atmosphere. I wonder all the more about what the children of the 2000s will offer us to see in twenty years through their memories.
In about fifteen minutes, the film offers us an anthology of important issues in the representation of the Caribbean experience such as life in the country, culinary traditions, religious celebrations, the child-parent relationship, the relationship with the neighbors, and the relationship with the Kréyol language.
Honestly, I could quibble with some aspects, but I liked Rico so much that I can skip it and just enjoy these few warm minutes of entertainment. I will finish on the technical aspect. The clarity of the images, the sound (the sound is AWESOME), and even the ending credits, every detail was put to the service of the story. And even if I hadn’t liked the plot, just for the technical effort, I would have applauded.
Rico was available for viewing for 3.99 euros on Vimeo at the time I watched it about 2 years ago. On March 30, 2020, Lynda D'Alexis uploaded it to Youtube. It’s now available on VOD. Go watch it! Do it for the culture.