By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.75 cats
Director: Philippe Lacôte
Starring: Bakary Koné | Denis Lavant | Issaka Sawadogo | Jean Cyrille Digbeu | Rasmané Ouédraogo | Steve Tientcheu
Original language title: La nuit des rois
Country: canada, france, ivory_coast_(cote_d`ivoire), senegal
Year: 2021
Running time: 93
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8132778/reference
Jeff says: “You might expect a movie about life in an African prison to be relentlessly grim. NIGHT OF THE KINGS, though, tells a lyrical story about storytelling itself.
“La Maca prison, set in the midst of the Ivory Coast jungle is, according to its warden, the only prison in the world run by an inmate, the King. The current King is old and sick, and the leader of a rival gang is threatening a violent succession. In a bid to extend his rule and his life, the King exercises his prerogative to appoint a storyteller, who, if he can keep the story going until dawn, will win the King and himself a reprieve. If the storyteller fails, they both die. The King appoints the newest arrival to the prison, a thief we only ever know as ‘Roman’, the storyteller, who, although he’s never told a story before, has no choice but to try. Roman, at first hesitant and unsure, gradually warms to his task. His simple story about the death of a famous gangster evolves into myth and folklore. Groups of men spontaneously gather to embellish and extend his tale with improvised song and dance, while around them, the fraught power struggle continues.
“It’s beautifully told and full of suspense. The photography is bright and crisp. The ensemble cast is superb, and the storytelling is spellbinding. 4½ cats.”
Chris says: “That is one *nutty* prison (and it would have to be with Denis Lavant walking around with a rooster on his shoulder.) 3 cats”