"Salut Cousin!"

Meznak Allouache's 1996 bomb "Salut Cousin" delivers an unfortunate cinematic experience as it inflicts a devastating blow to its spectators due to its clumsy direction and absence of plot. However, it is saved due to its successful conveyance of cross-cultural interpretations and immigration. The title itself carries significant irony because in the beginning of the film, Alilo comes to visit Mok in his 18th arrondissement apartment in Paris and in the end of the film, Mok is deported. Also, Mok is complaining about his family problems when they are obviously well-off enough to throw a lavish wedding such as the one they threw in the film. The only story capable of holding one's attention during this film is the promising relationship between Alilo and Fatoumata, which ends in happiness for both as they depart from the train station. Aside from this, however, the film continues to disappoint as the camera transitions in between shots. The spectator is left awestruck, but not in a good way, instead, in a confused way,as scenes that are put together are done so choppily leaving strong odors of confusion in the air because the spectator is often asking the question 'What is going on?" and "Okay, why did this just happen?" The mood of this film is difficult to define because of the film's overall choppiness and confusion in the spectator's minds about the other plots of the film's story. Perhaps the only symbol of stability and another symbol of irony in the film is Mok's goldfish, who we see swimming in his bowl at different times in the film's 97 minute duration. Before the police officers take Mok away in handcuffs, he is allowed to break free from them to feed his goldfish one last time. As the camera zooms in on the sprinkling of the fish food on the surface of the water, the spectator is left to ponder that the reason Mok tried so hard to break free and feed his fish before he left was because through all of his family drama, the fish represented a stability that he could have control over. Even if he had no control over his family's problems, he could always take care of his fish and feed his fish. Mok could have done so many other things, so many other final things before he was to be deported, but he decided that his fish needed to be fed. The headliner to "Salut Cousin!"'s soundtrack should be the LaFontaine poetry rapping heard throughout the film. This rapping contributes to what makes the film such a dull one because we know that Mok is an aspiring rapper and he has a great deal of family issues, but other than this and Alilo and Fatoumata's blossoming love, not much more of the plot is developed. The rapping also contributes irony as Mok unsuccessfully synchronizes LaFontaine's poetry into lyrics to the late 90s beats of the era. I could not disagree more with crystal1982's review of the movie on imdb.com when she says that "post-modern French society is portrayed truthfully and comically". Yes, the film portrayed post-modern French society truthfully through the eyes of these Maghrebines, but comically, not so much. Bomb, flop, disaster, whatever you wish to call it, the choppy feel and faint plotlines of the story seem to me a far cry from comedy.