Movie review: Private Tropical 35 "Lex & Lies in the Caribbean" (2008) (Tarra Wait, Kathia Inmobili, Boroka Calls)
Martin Standorf is originally from Böblingen, Germany, but he was an early globetrotter and, already in his twenties, he went to work as a winter sports instructor in Switzerland, at the Saint Moritz resort. Years later, in 2001, being a fairly experienced ski instructor, he moved to the Cortina D'Ampezzo resort to seek a change of scenery.
Lex & Lies in the Caribbean
TRAILER of Lex & Lies in the Caribbean
Miranda Svokat, originally from the Czech Republic, was a promising junior in the slalom discipline and trained in Innsbruck during her teenage years. A serious knee injury prevented Miranda from participating in the Salt Lake City Olympics when she was just 14 years old. She soon realized that her genetics were not at the competitive level required, and, burdened by pain, she became a certified coach before the age of 18.
During Christmas of 2005, Miranda also moved to Cortina D'Ampezzo, and on one of the sunny mornings in January, she met Martin at the viewpoint of the Cima Tofana refuge. A bubbling romance began, and they started living together a few months later. In 2006, after a mysterious move, they decided to seek peace and tranquility by moving to live in a tiny winter resort in the Iberian System, in the interior of Spain: Valdelinares.
There is a great deal of secrecy surrounding the life and finances of the Standorf couple in the following two years. The origin of their fortune is a complete mystery; perhaps they found the Holy Grail's treasure in some hermitage of the Maestrazgo... In any case, months later, they seemed to grow tired of the snow and founded an NGO in the Dominican Republic: Hydro Green. This non-governmental organization was aimed at purchasing large expanses of Dominican jungle that the government of the time was requalifying. To everyone's surprise, they didn’t acquire these hectares to build resorts or tourist complexes, but to preserve the virgin tropical rainforest, thus protecting biodiversity and preserving habitats, which is highly commendable. In other words, overnight, they became environmental philanthropists who, by the end of 2007, had already earned a great reputation within the global environmental movement.
Logotype of the NGO
This recap is not shown to us by director Bellocchio in the film. In order to avoid boring the viewer with the memories of this young European couple, the first scene places us directly in the Dominican Republic, at Villa Punta Aguila 17 in La Romana, Bayahibe, located in the southeastern part of the island.
Martin and Miranda kiss in front of the Caribbean Sea.
The villa has been for sale after the filming of this movie,
as can be seen in this link to its web
After the opening scene, we board a boat where a burly man, Mr. Gucci, and a refined blonde, his secretary, discuss a death. The news has hit the media that the philanthropist and environmentalist Martin Standorf has passed away. Mr. Gucci is a real estate developer based in Rome who has flown to the Caribbean, among other reasons, to finalize land sales with the widow, Mrs. Miranda Standorf. The product placement in this scene is the prestigious brand Lacoste, with Mr. Gucci wearing a polo shirt, perhaps as a metaphorical nod to his "crocodile tears"...
Lacoste sponsor the crocodile tears
A fisherman in troubled waters
The more moralistic viewer immediately analyzes Mr. Gucci's actions, as he has come to this tropical island almost without observing the customary mourning expected in advanced societies, with the clear intention of making a profit. Business dealings require analytical, calculating minds and demand cold-blooded action. Perhaps Mrs. Miranda is not in the best emotional state to manage an NGO sustained through financial maneuvering and handle the virgin tropical rainforest properties with the necessary care at this moment of grief.
Funeral glasses but dressed like a trattoria tablecloth
The widow enters the scene wearing funeral glasses, reminiscent of those worn by the baleful Rosario Porto, and quickly retorts that she is fully aware that Mr. Gucci didn't cross the Atlantic just to offer his condolences. She takes note of this, and perhaps the reason lies in the following: Professor Joan Tubau once said something like that small beings entrench themselves in their own tragedies and build their narrative letter by letter. Like flies in a bucket of freshly milked milk or a pig in a sty, they wallow in their misfortune because calamity is what gives them a voice. Before, they lived in indifference, but now they are finally heard by others. It is not advisable to define your character by focusing on the victimhood you have to endure by fate or bad luck. Miranda seems to follow these teachings and downplays Mr. Gucci's audacity, maintaining her composure in front of a developer driven by mere financial interest focused on building the largest hotel resort in the entire Caribbean.
Snake's gaze
Despite Miranda's fiery words, the developer is well aware that now, with the new heiress in charge of everything, there are many more possibilities. During the same meeting, Mr. Gucci also takes the opportunity to inform her that, after this initial contact, he will need to finalize the deal with his partner, Mr. Wiggle, as he must return to the Old Continent as soon as possible.
The voyeuristic widow observes the couple "walking" on deck through her translucent mashrabiya.
This dead man is very much alive
Before the astonished eyes of the viewer, Martin appears, and it is not a memory. Miranda and he converse about the necessity of keeping his fake death a secret, as he continues to enjoy the Caribbean breezes with joy, gluttony, and good food. However, not everything is as wonderful as one might think, because Martin despises being in this sort of prison of desire, and even asks his wife to send him something to entertain him...
Indeed, being confined to a house as if under house arrest can feel longer than a Kathakali performance. We are witnessing a sort of Sisyphus of our time, who deceives with his death, although we still don’t know for what purpose. However, as happened to the founder of the Kingdom of Corinth, he too is forced to lead an absurd existence inside four walls, trapped by futility, like in a vicious circle toward eternity.
Another picture of villa Punta Aguila 17 in the web. This area appears in this scene
Lies, therefore, do not take long to come to light...
Let’s take a moment to focus on another element that features in the film's title: the Law ("lex"). It is necessary to clarify this due to the complex system that determines the applicable law to marriage and, consequently, establishes the effects on marital union. It is also important to differentiate between the concepts of ownership and possession: two elastic and very different concepts. At first glance, it is evident that Miranda appears to enjoy full ownership of her husband's assets, but she is not the heir as such, rather a mere usufructuary, and therefore, she only has possession.
Let’s take a step back for a second. The couple married in 2006 in Germany without having a common personal law at that time (Martin is German and Miranda is Czech), and without registering the applicable law through an authentic document, the third option of Article 9.2 of the Civil Code was automatically applied, as per Chapter IV of the Preliminary Title on Private International Law Rules. The literal text of this provision states that the "law of the common habitual residence immediately after the marriage is celebrated" is applied. They were already living in Valdelinares when the marriage took place, so the Foral Code of Aragon applies, which includes several interesting peculiarities, such as the widow's usufruct.
The widow's usufruct is a unique figure in all of Spain and grants the right to use and enjoy certain assets of the deceased to the surviving spouse. The origin of the universal usufruct dates back to 1247 and was supplemented in the 15th century with the Fuero de Alimentis. However, the key peculiarity we’re concerned with here is that, aside from the usufruct, the bare ownership belongs to the legitimate heirs. In the absence of a will or succession agreement, since the widow is not a forced heir in Aragon (there would be no disinheritance in any case), and lacking any direct descendants, Martin's closest ascendant, his father Nicklaus, would be the heir to all of the assets. Miranda, however, has the right to the usufruct of two-thirds of the total. It has always been said that it’s better to be a widow in Aragon than the queen of Castile.
The lie Miranda tells to potential buyers holds because, given the couple’s youth, it was expected that a will had not been written. Therefore, it is necessary to attach to all sales agreements a power of attorney sent by Nick from Zuffenhausen, which allows these inter vivos transfers to be carried out in accordance with Article 290.2 of the Foral Code of Aragon: "The full ownership of certain goods can be alienated, with the surviving spouse usufructuary and the bare owner. Unless otherwise agreed, the price or the acquired item will replace what has been alienated."
In any case, it’s a real mess aimed solely at ensuring the successful sale of properties following the supposed death of her husband. To carry out her plan, they have been advised by the lawyer Raúl Guzmán, who has acted as amicus curiae from his office, Oficinas de Raúl Guzmán y Asociados. You know, when you have doubts about applying Aragonese law: Better call Raúl!
Mr. Gucci takes advantage of his last hours in paradise
"Logs on the edge of the sea" by Max Bellocchio
After saying goodbye to Martin, Miranda drove her Isuzu Trooper to meet Mr. Wiggle, Mr. Gucci's business partner, at the Country Club de Golf. There, riding in a golf cart, the supposed widow reminds him that the entire area is also for sale (the Country Club de Golf is the only exception that Martin and Miranda Standorf made for profit, in order to financially support their conservationist project).
The forest green Isuzu Trooper (in the background on the left) is swapped
for a golf cart driven by the helpful Miguel, a gondolier in paradise...
The male actor (Jorg Skopje) seems to put little effort into the dialogue, as if he appears in the scene for reasons unrelated to the matter at hand (...) The goal is to play a few holes to make the negotiation more pleasant. Will a good drive be more important, or having control over one's emotions during the putt?
¿Swing or Swinger?
Melancholy under the dyed blonde mane.
Hopes under the skin inflated with creatine.
Some guests arrive at Martin's house.
Leaving the golf country club aside, Miranda has kept her word, and instead of giving him a pill to calm him, she has brought Martin some generous gifts in the form of women with loose morals... This couple enjoys a strong open relationship, much like James and Catherine Ballard in Cronenberg's Crash, which adds significant interest to the development of the film. Let’s hope the women don’t spread the news across the island that Martin Standorf faked his own death.
The black widow weaves her web and has the plan in her head
The plan continues to unfold perfectly, though the days of confinement and monastic life begin to weigh heavily on the domesticated Martin. Miranda, with little empathy, informs him that she will be meeting with the developers at the beach to show them the properties, further accentuating the sense of spleen and isolation felt by the Teuton. Still, like a good German, he remains focused on organization and logistics, reminding her of the urgent need to receive Nick's power of attorney for the effective disposition of the properties.
Masterful use of the sunset light in this scene where ennui and
love converge in a few seconds of footage
At the next meeting between Miranda and the French developer Mr. Meunier, Mr. Gucci's meddling secretary also attends, which is quite perplexing. Mr. Meunier wants to build a massive water park, on par with the best aquaparks in the world. In the negotiation to reach the ZOPA (Zone of Possible Agreement), the supposed beneficiary of the properties uses charm and begins to captivate Mr. Meunier by telling him that his hands remind her of her late husband's, and asking him to caress her neck with the palm of his hand...
All very out of place while Martin's body is still warm...
Mr. Meunier doesn’t seem to fully understand what’s going on.
All this constant persuasion carried out by Miranda finally culminates in the final meeting, where the real estate transfer is to be signed by the poolside in a relaxed atmosphere, which is a nod to the flexible Caribbean society, where stress and formalities are left in the trunk, and where the good life and partying supreme.
The final signature is affixed to both the originals and the copies
Without a notary, but with cocktails
Miranda, sporting a look reminiscent of an 80s Moscow spy,
gently reminds them that they must sign all the pages
A toast to another successful deal
As an important note, the signing takes place in the Standorfs' own home (we assume Martin is hiding in the anti-bandit bunker), and it ends with a grand celebration in the garden of their villa, which Miranda has just sold to the developers.
Up until this point, near the end of the film, the viewer still doesn’t fully understand what kind of scam the Standorf couple has been orchestrating... It's somewhat similar to what happens in the Italian film Seven Pounds, starring Will Smith, directed by Gabriele Muccino: here, too, we're about seventy percent into the movie, and the plot is still tangled up—confusion reigns. The more experienced observer might wonder if there are eventual challenges to the acquisitions made a non domino... but in the end, all financial obligations would need to be restored for the effective resolution of the contract.
On an etiological level, the decision to sell everything to unscrupulous developers after having committed to the most radical environmentalism in recent years also remains unclear.
Max Bellocchio doesn't make us suffer any longer and soon reveals the entire scheme, which, in fact, has borne fruit after Miranda's perfect execution.
Toasting in the infinity pool of Villa Punta Aguila 17 in Bayahibe
In the Dominican Republic, every reasonably informed citizen is already aware of the government's plan to expropriate all real estate owned by foreigners, in order to keep wealth within the country and promote autarky. This is why Martin, a sharp guy who was even lucid at his own funeral, has agreed to sell all of his properties for 230 million US dollars now, because he was going to lose them anyway in six months.
However, he can't do it in person because the developers, whom he has rejected numerous times, would suspect such a betrayal of the natural conservation front that has governed the final stage of his life. It’s much more believable that it’s now the widow who is unloading the properties to obtain liquidity. The truth is, they are lurking, but they aren't using insider information, as Gucci, Meunier, Wiggle, and the secretary could have learned about the government's draconian measures through any tabloid.
Silvie, a friend of the couple, listening the plan
Champagne André product placement of this scene
On the other hand, and as a corollary, Martin trusts that the new pro-communist government will focus on nature conservation... though it’s well known that, starting in 1950, the USSR committed ongoing ecocide (the desiccation of the Aral Sea, proliferation of nuclear weapons, the Chernobyl reactor meltdown, and the pollution of Lake Baikal are some regrettable examples).
Time will tell... In any case, the next destination for the couple is Tahiti... perhaps one day a new film in the tropical saga will take place in French Polynesia, with Martin and Miranda as the stars. In the credits, composer David Wurst (who replaces Oreste Fiengo) bids us farewell with some fabulous melodies reminiscent of jarchas, leaving his personal mark.
THE END
RATING: 3/10
Info:
Private Tropical 35 "Lex & lies in the Caribbean"
Year: 2008
Genre of the plot: romance, legal
Paradise destination: Dominican Republic
Actors: George Bull, Tarra Wait, Boroka Calls, Joe Monta, Kathia Inmobili, Phil Holyshit, Jorg Skopje
Where can I find it: Private or Google
Comentarios
Publicar un comentario