TIFF 2021: Saloum
TIFF 2021Sometimes a film just manages to go bonkers in every best way possible. Saloum kicks butt from the very first scene on its way to fusing horror-western sensibilities with a dash of drug-cartel action. Jean Luc Herbulot’s Saloum starts with an energetic action scene involving three mercenaries on a mission to snatch a drug dealer and his merchandise and get out of wherever they are. And they do so with various parties in pursuit, making the film a bit of a road movie. During their escape, the mercenaries and their cartel minion – and a plane of gold – have to emergency land their plane in a swampy hinterland river basin where they hide out at a tourist resort on haunted land. It’s a great set up, and the film buzzes with the electricity of high-strung filmmaking enthusiasm throughout. Herbulot seems inspired by dusty action-horror romps like John Carpenter’s Vampires or From Dusk Till Dawn, but he also manages to bring his own strong storytelling voice to the proceedings.
After the gung-ho, guerilla, testosterone-baked gunplay of the opening ten minutes, one does briefly wonder if this indie will turn into one of those that cooks up a few early strong moments before shuffling off to weak, conventional, uninteresting B-movie trash. Rest assured, Saloum is absolutely not one of those films, as the gas pedal is firmly pressed through almost the whole runtime. Director Jean Luc Herbulot more or less winds the crank on this feisty Senegalese film and just lets it go. When the three soldiers of fortune hole up in the small resort and accept some mild chores, Herbulot allows a brief period of amnesty from bedlam and violence while allowing the opportunity to get through any remaining exposition. It’s not long, though, before all hell breaks loose involving local authorities, competing parties, and some ghastly creative monsters the likes of which you’ve never seen anything before.
Saloum may have strong visual flair, but amid the chaos, Herbulot anchors his action to very calming, soothing characters. These three guerrillas are worth caring about. They may be written somewhat shallowly, but they have strong connection with one another and are not written as mere violent thugs. As the film progresses, their brotherhood is built on legitimate friendship and loyalty – and within all Saloum’s action, it’s an accomplishment for that to effectively come across. The script itself is filled with McGuffins and minimally significant plot points – after all the film is about momentum and exhilaration rather than meaning and thematic musings. However, the mercenaries’ leader, Chaka (charismatically played by Yann Gael) is a strong, dynamic force. Another mercenary, Minuit (Mentor Ba) meditates regularly while others communicate through sign language. These elements have a quiet strength of character amid all the unfolding action and horror.
Herbulot’s film is highly immersive. The audience is engaged on a deeper level than merely running alongside, dodging bullets. Things move pretty fast at times, so it’s easy to lose one’s bearings and miss plot elements. It’s not a problem though, because the intense and busy camerawork is an ongoing hook. The geography of the action scenes are clear, the stakes feel high, and the action is panicked. Saloum also features an impressive effort put into character designs. These guys have a very deliberately designed video-game style. Although they have a simplicity about them, the three mercenaries have highly distinguishable and likable personas while also being outfitted with Fortnite-inspired outfits and gear. And then there is the character design of Saloum’s monsters. They are undeniably stunning ‘things’ that are a brilliant combination of practical and digital effects. Herbulot has his fingers on the pulse of cool, it would seem, as these anti-heroes and Saloum’s spiritual elements feature first-rate creative capital.
Saloum is a low-budget technical wonder. The enthusiasm behind the camera washes over the whole production. The cinematography, editing, production design, and costume departments contribute top-notch efforts. Any shortcomings in budget are buried by creativity and enthusiastic storytelling.