Riad Sattouf is a tough guy to second-guess. At the very moment - 2014 - when IS has proudly inherited and rejoices in flaunting the mantle of Ghenghis Khan, Attila The Hun, Vlad The Impaler, Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler, Sattouf has chosen to launch his movie Jacky In The Kingdom Of Women on an indifferent world. It's difficult-to-impossible for a klutz like me to interpret the film as a satire of, an attack on, or an endorsement of IS as seen through the eyes of a pantomime character. To nutshell it we are in a mythical kingdom where women call the shots and men wear the burka and walk six paces behind. The head honcho, Anenome, is in failing health and, with shades of King Lear, desires to hand over to her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg, but first, Gainsbourg needs to be married. The solution is to hold a ball for would-be suitors, where Ginsbourg will select. Jacky has had eyes for Gainsbourg forever but his family attempt to prevent him staking his claim. That's it. For my money it's a crock of you know what but then what do I know.
Review of Jacky in the Kingdom of Women
