Rent 35 Shots of Rum (2008)

Be honest… - 35 Shots of Rum review by SG

Remake this film with white people and it would be very dull. If you enjoyed it, whoever you are, examine why. Lots of people seem to have rated it highly but were unable to give a reason. Do not fear any spoilers in reviews because nothing happens and the characters undergo no development. You are just expected to be mesmerised by the presence of non-whites who do exotic things like smoke cigarettes while deep in thought (about what, we have no idea) or drink lots of shots of rum while deep in thought (about what, we have no idea). A sense of deep seated anguish pervades as the characters enjoy a material standard of living that most can only aspire to. There’s also a sort of fetish about rice (perhaps to signify the characters’ otherness, yawn) that climaxes in the appearance of a second rice maker…and now I’ve spoilt it.

Pointless - 35 Shots of Rum review by SJ

This disk did not have subtitles (no matter what I tried, and I tried everything) and I don’t speak French :-(

What is the point?
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Staying Put - 35 Shots of Rum review by griggs

This one quietly won me over. Nothing in 35 Shots of Rum is pushed, underlined, or sold with a flourish, and that restraint is exactly what gives it its pull. Claire Denis builds the film out of glances, pauses, routines, and the kind of small domestic moments most films would rush past. By the end, they carry more weight than you expect.

Alex Descas is excellent as a widowed father so bound up in habit and devotion that change starts to feel like a quiet bereavement. Mati Diop is just as strong, giving Joséphine a warmth and presence that makes every shift in their relationship land with real feeling. That café dance is the standout: tender, awkward, and quietly heartbreaking, like the whole film briefly coming into focus.

It's about love, but also the selfishness tucked inside it: the part that wants people to stay exactly where they are so you don't have to lose them. Warm, melancholy, and deeply humane. It doesn't shout, but it leaves a mark.