Movie review: Private Tropical 32 "Summermix job in Guadaloupe 1" (2007) (Yasmine Cold, Jessica Poore, Lucie Teadoraba)
On the shore of the sea, on the fine white sands of the Caribbean, lies a gangster dressed in a spotless Trilby hat and electric blue sunglasses typical of a villain from the Austin Powers saga. The capo enjoys the tropical parnassus of the French Antilles, the Grande Terre island of Guadeloupe, surrounded by female deities, toasting with Moët and savoring a Cuban cigar.
Trailer of Summermix Job in Guadaloupe 1
Part 1 of Summermix Job in Guadaloupe 1 on Youtube
Part 2 Summermix Job in Guadaloupe 1 on Youtube
With this unorthodox beginning, an internal struggle begins within the viewer, who asks himself a litany of questions related to the film and not all of them digestible questions, precisely. The main one, which I am forced to emphasize, is: have I downloaded a two-diamond movie by mistake? and another question, no less important since it derives from a natural bodily reaction: have they already turned on the central heating or is it just me...?
The temperature rises and not because of the flame of the lighter
To pause this debate to which we will be forced to return later, Óscar, the supposed gangster, is suddenly woken up by his friend Eric. His dream, unfinished like all dream fantasies with platonic loves, kept him confined in another dimension. However, dreams also have other powers, such as providing good ideas to the brain that generates them. Often, during narcosis we find an answer to our problems through a disruptive solution that would hardly have occurred to us when our neurons act rationally.
Heavy smokers carry a cigarette on their lips while they sleep
Eric, the party pooper, who wakes you up at the peak moment.
In this conversation between the protagonist, Óscar, and his colleague Eric, we finally understand that we are facing a social cinema film. Óscar explains that some European girls have landed at Pointe-à-Pitre airport. They come to the Caribbean to work at the resort of their boss, Pascal Le Fleur. This landowner is the owner of the largest estate on the island and, because he has had to be away on business in the Bahamas, he has left Oscar in charge of receiving the ruddy girls. Another member of the company, Mike, has gone to pick them up in a Suzuki Samurai Cabrio in which the young girls let out their hair and enjoy the Antillean breeze.
Suzuki Samurai Cabrio, same vehicle that appears in African Temptation
14 traffic accidents they caused
Seat belts are not glamorous in Hollywood
Oscar has had the brilliant, although morally reprehensible, idea of posing as the landowner Le Fleur. Furthermore, he is going to tell the young women, as a cold welcome, that the European office has sent four girls to fill precarious jobs at the resort, when in reality there are only two vacancies available. This will force them to work hard and want to stand out from the rest, for the benefit of Óscar, Mike, Eric and anyone who wants to be part of this premeditated identity theft.
Eric has doubts because, sooner or later, Pascal Le Fleur will return to the estate, and then all this scheme of lies and half-truths will become unsustainable. Óscar has thought of everything, and by the time that happens, he will have already "fled the island."
If you don't want to forget the idea you had in a dream, tell it to someone
The vast plantation of Le Fleur is only accessible by carriage road
There they walk, straight as a thread, ignoring the reception that awaits them
Facial expressions of the person who pronounces adversarial phrases
12 hours of flight for this
Oscar introduces himself as Pascal and tells them that there are only two places to fill. They receive the news with a stoicism worthy of admiration, and even more so if we take into account the plane trip. Óscar knows that after "the stick" comes the "carrot" and he explains to them profusely everything in which they are going to be taught during their stay. They will be guests of honor and will learn to ride horses and pilot motorboats while enjoying an expenses-paid vacation in the Caribbean.
The union representative had to be present at this initial meeting.
Photo from the Guadeloupe hotels website: Plantation Grand Café
Then, like a good host, Óscar takes them to the Place de la Victoria from Pointe-à-Pitre to show them the lively Darse Market. It is a short drive of about half an hour from the Plantation Grand Café, where they have been received by the alleged Pascal le Fleur with his necessary faithful collaborator, Eric.
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Same point in Place de la Victoria (picture from 2023) and, below, the still from the film filmed in Kubrick Perspective by Bellocchio
From fishwife to fishwife
All very artisanal.
Immediately afterwards, shortly before the market closed, they returned to the Gran Café Plantation, to visit the crops before sunset. Although coffee is mostly grown there, they have chosen to visit the banana plantation because they are true experts in the field.
Since they have landed, it can be said that they have been "in tow" all day, behind the fake Le Fleur
The trailer has currently been "whitewashed"... (photo 2023)
Banana trees also use condoms (blue, in this case) to avoid problems.
Welcome "tourné" has finished
Now, the host says goodbye to them, for whom another car trip awaits them to Le Gosier, where the resort where they will stay for the next week is located. Before saying goodbye, he asks them for their respective names. Bárbara, Sabrina, Megan and Nicole introduce themselves, and then Pascal explains to them that the next day they will be separated into two groups: two of them will take a boat trip to see the best maritime corners of the archipelago, and two others will take a route on horseback through the wooded hills of Guadeloupe, crossing heaths and undulations full of exotic plants.
Megan already practicing to get the job
In view of the panorama, Pascal, immersed in his role as a colonial landowner, makes the typical comment of a macho and outdated boss. "Remember, girls, bananas are for eating, not for use as a toy." The four young women, desperate to get the position, laugh at their employer, who does not miss any opportunity to demonstrate his dominant position and continually abuse his status.
In the transition, Max shows us this fabulous sunset taken in Guadeloupe during filming.
A swim in the pool to start the day
The pool looks the same today. Its owners have decided to preserve the original spirit that appears in Summermix job in Guadaloupe.
Link to website Expedia, where you can rent this villa
Google Earth pic of the villa located in Rue du Cap Sud, nº 13, Le Gosier. The blue roof and the square meters of the building stand out.
The landowner is not afraid of topless people
When they wake up, the girls know that they have a hard day ahead of them and decide to take a dip in the pool. The shameless ones bathe topless, and Pascal Le Fleur soon drops by, feigning disinterest. I am convinced that Pascal received a tip from some maintenance employee at the resort, who is surely also hiding among the vegetation spying on the young women to satisfy his scopic drive. Excusing himself, Pascal says he brings important information: a change of plans. The horseback ride is postponed to tomorrow, and today Bárbara and Nicole will be the only ones who will go on an excursion: a catamaran trip awaits them to visit an islet called Fortuna.
Fade to black and we change shots. A young brunette named Electra appears having an ice cream on a quiet beach. Pascal soon appears, accelerated: he is late. The busy Oscar gets straight to the point and soon asks him about his father-in-law and investments. Electra offers him a quiet walk to tell him all the details.
Electra seems to be in a Sorolla painting
The first question, about the father-in-law
We pause to leave the port aboard a Lagoon 380 catamaran. Nicole, Barbara and Sabrina are accompanied by Ralf and Mike while Eric takes the helm in the background. Excellent piece of music with electric guitars composed by the composer Oreste Fiengo accompany the departure of the docks. There, Mike and Ralf are going to make an indecent proposition to Barbara... The first of many. We must not forget that Summermix Job in Guadalupe has emerged, over the years, as a warning against a change in which the workplace has become a sphere full of suspicion in which authoritarianism and sexual harassment.
It is possible that it is this Lagoon 380, because both the year of manufacture and the port of mooring fit together
The endless ice cream
We return to the couple of lovebirds and confirm that they are indeed dating. Electra, whose ice cream does not melt despite the heat, tells her partner that her father Valentín wants to finally meet him and that he is interested in certain venture capital investments. The supposed Pascal, whose name we still do not know, proposes having dinner that same night with his "little father-in-law" so as not to delay the meeting any longer.
On the catamaran, meanwhile, a wild party is about to begin
And the long-awaited night arrives in which Electra introduces her father, Valentín, to her boyfriend the impersonator, who wears a beige jacket in combination with a red shirt that would fit perfectly in the wardrobe of Tony Montana or Vic Vance (GTA). What could go wrong? Óscar's brash character (he finally transcends his name) tells him about some supposed digital currencies that are going to be released next year, and with which he is going to get very high interests: 15,000 in profits in just three months for a total capital of 50,000 euros, and tax-free, thanks to some intertwined step transactions of dubious legality.
Father-in-law Valentín, Óscar, and Electra and her legs
Rich but not much
The benefits are attractive, but the father-in-law is distrustful because of the inextricability of the operations and because he has never seen him at Deceit Bank, a bank he visits very frequently. Óscar replies that he works in an external office. The father-in-law insists on visiting him in that attached office but Óscar, who bull-fights like Martincho, claims that it is an office not open to the public and that this crypto investment is intended only for managers, so it would not be appropriate for anyone to see him hanging around there. .
This work by Bellocchio stands out for its bijective nature and the existence of two well-defined and intertwined narrative lines, which reflect aspects such as job insecurity, corrupt middle management, "raising" financing without remorse and the almost childish attraction towards unrealistic remunerative interests; a pecuniary catafalque typical of the plutocracy in which we live and in which certain derived problems underlie: exploited and defrauded people, respectively.
On the other hand and before leaving the scene, the name Electra is not trivial and is undoubtedly connected to Carl Gustav Jung's Electra complex. In this case, it would be an Electra complex not overcome in childhood. For this reason, Electra has looked for a new father figure: a mature man, who is 15 years older than her, to replace her biological father, who rejected her some time ago so as not to contradict the designs of the natural order.
Another possibility is that the name sticks to its pure mythological origin, and Electra avenges her father, as Electra did after the murder of her father Agamemnon. This could become relevant later, either in this film or in the second part.
Dinner takes place at the Rue du Cap Sud resort where the Europeans are staying...
Logo of the alleged bank where Óscar works
We now return to what seemed to be the central theme in the first minutes of footage. Repeating what I mentioned above, in Summermix job, Max Bellocchio mixes financial investments of dubious legality with the deep-rooted problem of job insecurity also for another reason. The transalpine filmmaker thus shows a dichotomy, a life choice that many young people must face as soon as they reliably verify that the university degree they studied has less value than a CCC course. When they understand the drama of their future, many start buying cryptocurrencies, betting on sports or playing online poker.
Now, Sabrina and Bárbara (Bárbara repeats and we still don't know why) are the candidates chosen for the horse ride. From the highest levels of this volcanic island, they descend to the beach on a somewhat windy day which, far from being a problem, helps them withstand the heat and humidity.
"Look what stallions I have brought you"
Winning over your future boss with a splendid Profident smile
Walk along the ancient glen of Guadalupe
A clear nod to the Ocean Club and the scene performed by Caterina Murino on the back of a steed that appears in the then recently released Casino Royale (2006)
Pic of Casino Royale (2006) directed byMartin Campbell
It seems that Electra lives at Pascal Le Fleur's resort...
As usual, Electra and Óscar meet at the resort, which leads us to think that Pascal Le Fleur's hotel is also a kind of Club house where people go to sunbathe, dine and drink elaborate cocktails. . Electra greets him with effusions even though Oscar has arrived, once again, late, which completely cancels the shopping trip that she had planned. Óscar alleges that he had many tasks accumulated at the bank. In fact, he's still thinking about work, because he's trying to persuade Electra to get her father to invite other friends into this Ponzi scheme he's up to. What happens to Óscar is the Hot Hand Fallacy, which is a cognitive bias of a social nature that we can exemplify with a fired-up basketball player who makes several triples in a row, and believes, Therefore, he will also make the next three-point shot with complete certainty.
Later, Óscar, who has less sensitivity than a brick, once again disappoints his girlfriend by canceling her plan for that same night (they were going to go to a nightclub) because he says he has a formal dinner with his boss, in which they are going to talk. of a possible internal promotion. Pure lies, but Electra is more innocent than the children with the story of Santa Claus.
A kiss to fix the mess.
Immediately, the story focuses again on the four young women, who that afternoon are enjoying the multi-adventure park in the interior of the island. There they do activities such as zip lining, rope bridges in the purest style of Steven Spielberg's The Temple of Doom and in the end all the young people end up sharing their experience on some wooden planks. A fantastic day in which Megan, Nicole, Sabrina and Bárbara have learned in the best way possible: by having fun. The moral conflict comes at the end, when Eric and Ralf again make an indecent proposition, this time to Nicole, as a shortcut to getting the job.
Not suitable for people with vertigo
The real adventure begins later
The story of the young women who cross the pond in search of an opportunity is very moving, but the Neapolitan director once again moves away from the main story to focus on the financial dealings of Óscar, who that same night has dinner with his father-in-law Valentín and a friend whom he has decided to involve in the Deceit Bank bombing.
Once again, gathered at Le Fleur's Club House
¿Boyfriend or Grandfather?
His father-in-law's friend, Mr. Farfán, only speaks French, but he is willing to put a lot of money into the future cryptocurrency business. On the other hand, since he is going to spend many hours doing calculations to know how much to invest, he wants his wife to be busy and therefore asks Óscar to find him some "productive" entertainment. At first, Óscar does not seem very willing to comply with the bald sixty-year-old's requests, but that is when his father-in-law Valentín reminds him how rich Mr. Farfán is.
The next day Óscar decides to talk about it with Bárbara, his favorite, who is sunbathing next to the pool in the morning. We enter swampy territory because now Óscar is interspersing the fictional world of Pascal Le Fleur, with his artificial environment as a successful banker and broker cofounder.
Óscar always decides to talk to the girls when they are at the pool, the very mischievous one
The proposal is only for Barbara, so the supposed Pascal has to take Sabrina shopping with him, a safe bet
Current photo at a similar angle that allows you to see the villa with the blue roof.
Listening to seashells
..and smelling the aphrodisiac vanilla
In the meantime, Oscar takes Sabrina to a beach market full of typical island products such as shells, crafts, spices and other tribal wonders; and Bárbara meets the rich bald man's wife; The other two members of the group, Megan and Nicole, go on a speedboat with Ralf and Mike, who, although they do not know the master plan that Óscar has drawn up, do go along with him and do nothing more than indecent proposals. to the girls.
Touring Le Grand Cul de Sac Marin, in the north of the island.
The spark between Nicole and Ralf arises even before the immoral proposal
The fast boat named "Sea Wale" is a direct witness of another nail in the coffin of the Workers' Statute.
The week continues to progress, the days follow one another, and we are now reaching the final phase of the selection process. Óscar goes with all the girls for a walk on the beach and there, unfortunately, he runs into his girlfriend, facing an unavoidable circumstance: having to explain himself. His girlfriend Electra, who firmly believes that her husband is a successful banker who is always dressed in a Brooks Brothers suit and a Brioni tie, cannot help but be astonished. The Hawaiian shirt that Oscar wears that day is considered a crime against humanity in more than 50 decent countries, and the ordinary young girls who accompany him do not help to soften the situation either.
It seems that, finally, the fictional world of Pascal Le Fleur has collided with Oscar's real life. The European women are amazed by the small commotion generated and observe, from a few meters away, the agitated conversation between Electra and her boss. Electra is first surprised that Oscar is not in the office; secondly, he scolds him for his tacky shirt; and finally, he reproaches him about the twenty-something girls dressed in miniskirts and silicone tits with whom he wanders around idly and carefree.
The world turned upside down...
"This shirt is for good vibes" claims Óscar
The girls gossip about the scene that Electra is making. Malicious laughter is heard
Óscar, who tells the truth even when he lies, explains that the bank director has asked him to act as babysitter for both his daughters and the two daughters of the financial institution's best client. Consequently, he argues that "he has had to dress up so that the girls feel a little more immersed in the tropical atmosphere of the island," but that, in reality, he is "working." Electra nods, but doesn't swallow any of her words.
Óscar makes the gesture of "he's sick in the head", referring to Electra
Everything is fine
The sigh, long and loud, that she exhales from Electra's bowels when she sees her boyfriend making the gesture of "this girl is crazy" and, above all, the final look indicate to us that the relationship could have had in this chance encounter a turning point, however the viewer cannot predict an end with accuracy. Let me explain: this incident is a call to reflect on how today's society processes and reacts to crude revelations such as infidelity. In the foreground, Electra ponders between her life of luxury and her dignity, and decides to remain silent, in pursuit of economic security. Electra's expression also gives off a sensation of double rejection, due to the Electra complex she suffers from: a new father figure who also refuses her... Certainly, a harsh scene that leaves an indelible scar in the heart of the observer.
The next day, we head out to sea again, again aboard a speedboat, but now in a sporty model painted in a carmine red that attracts everyone's attention. This is one of Bellocchio's most maritime films, because up to three different boats have appeared. Here Ralf teaches Sabrina to pilot this type of boat, and gives her the helm while he takes the opportunity to cling to her as much as possible. Ralf hasn't wasted any time and has made the most of the whole week.
Ideal boat to come on the high seas
We are all clear about the direction this situation is taking.
The padded area on the back is very promising
Next, we go to the La Renaissance Cinema Theater, located in the center of Pointe-a-Pitre and which has now been completely demolished after suffering a fire, but which is going to be rebuilt, scrupulously preserving the architecture of the original, as if it were the Notre Dame cathedral. It is evident that a building that appears in the first part of Summermix Job in Guadaloupe could not have such a tragic end.
Impressive front wall designed by Henri Gabriel in the interwar period (1929-1930) (Film still, filmed in 2007)
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State a few months before the controlled demolition
The "building"... nowadays. Link to Google maps. We wish good luck to the builder who is entrusted with the reconstruction. We play a lot
Valentín, the father-in-law, comes here for his appointment with Óscar. The name of the cinema may be symbolic, because Oscar's financial resurgence begins here.
In the absence of an office...
Valentín does not stand out for his shirts either. Maybe that's why their daughter hates them so much.
In this informal meeting, Valentín gives him 50,000 euros in cash. We assume that his daughter has not yet informed him of the dissolute life that his son-in-law leads, who goes from here to there surrounded by pelandruscas. Óscar, in a hurry, tells her that he is going to go to the bank to get the contract and that he will deliver it to her in a few hours, however, in the middle of the handshake he changes his mind and announces that he will give said document to his daughter, Electra. In this way, the cunning Óscar now has an excuse to see his girlfriend and try to make peace without the matter getting too entrenched.
Eragón promotion, movie in exhibion in Guadaloupe in 2007, and "You, Me and Dupree," a comedy in which seven-time tour champion Lance Armstrong makes an apparition.
Once again, Max accentuates Oscar's nocturnal tendencies, who prefers to trade after dark, and we move to a murky Pointe-a-pitre joint where the acrid aroma of spilled draft beer hangs in the air. Mr Farfán, Valentín and Óscar meet again to talk about investments. Farfán's wife has been very satisfied and that has tipped the balance definitively, so she will invest in the crypto business, with a capital of 100,000 euros.
Mr Farfán uncover his cards
In a frame in which everyone toasts and even the waitress raises her elbow. This could end up worse than the Sons of Bertolé... In the background, a product placement from a reputable brewery: Heineken
For the moment, Mr. Farfán gives him 6,000 euros as a deposit; The rest will be delivered to you in a nominative check subject to certain connotations. Óscar is generous in victory and accepts checks, even at the risk of them being pure paper. The suspensive condition is set by Mr. Farfán's blonde wife. She demands, through her husband, an imperative representative, one last dance before the contract is signed. Óscar also commits to this assignment because he has a plan in mind. Without asking anyone's permission, he takes the Sea Wale speedboat owned by Le Fleur (a boat that has already appeared in a previous scene) and heads out into the open sea, with an uncertain destination and the same bad intentions as always.
Special transport
Sea Wale in all its glory
OHidden behind his glasses and his Killer Loop cap, Óscar contemplates his work. Killer loop fwas a brand born in the last quarter of the 20th century that the group Benetton tried to relaunch in 2013. Without success.
The name of the firm comes from a jump that the windsurfing champion Cesare Cantagalli test at first time in Hawaii.
The difficult Killer Loop jump that gave the brand its name can be seen in this video from Youtube
The driver should not be disturbed
And suddenly, abruptly, we come to the end. Everything remains to be decided, as in Mission Impossible Mortal Sentence part 1. The only thing we know for sure is that one of those chosen for the low-paid job at the resort is Bárbara. Her contribution to Oscar's project, with her good work with Mr. Farfán's wife, placed her in an advantageous position over her competitors.
The chosen one
The first and only "to be continued" of the entire Tropical saga is revealed at the end. The film Tropical 33 is the second part of this story of scams, temporary jobs and abuse of dominant position. Where will Oscar go with the 56,000 euros he already has in his possession? Will you try to cash the check signed by Mr. Farfán or will you assume that it is a bad check? Who among Megan, Nicole and Sabrina will be chosen to accompany Barbara at the resort? Will Oscar fix the broken romantic relationship that still unites him with Electra? We will have all the answers in the next film because Oscar is the undisputed protagonist of this mini saga and the rest of the characters around him are mere pawns that he moves at will from his throne of fallacies and tricks.
THE END
RATING: 6/10
Info:
Private Tropical 32 "Summermix job in Guadaloupe 1"
Year: 2007
Genre of the plot: social drama
Paradise destination: Guadaloupe
Actors: Chloe Desaire, Lucia Teadoraba, Boroka Calls, Morgan Spoon, Yasmine Cold, Jessica Poore, Jorg Skopje, Franco Trancedancer, Peter Benis, Mike Tangelo
Where can I find it: Private or Google
Link to spanish version
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