My DVD of "Hideous Kinky", originally given away free with a Sunday newspaper, had been gathering dust on my shelves for some time when I decided to watch it for the sole reason that I had just returned from a holiday in Marrakesh, where the film is set. The action takes place in the early seventies, a time when the city was an essential stop on the hippie trail, largely because of the easy availability of drugs. (It was doubtless this reputation that was responsible for the Crosby Stills and Nash hit "Marrakesh Express", the railway systems of North Africa not normally being regarded as a major source of inspiration for songwriters).There were, however, some in the hippie community whose interest in the city was less pharmaceutical than spiritual, this being a period of great interest in alternative forms of religion. Just as some young Westerners travelled to India or the Far East to sit at the feet of a guru, so Julia, the main character in the film, has been drawn to Morocco by her interest in the mystical Islamic Sufi tradition. She is a young Englishwoman who has travelled to Marrakesh with her two young daughters Bea and Lucy. She has formed a relationship with a young Moroccan, but has no job, and her only sources of income are the maintenance cheques she receives at irregular intervals from the estranged boyfriend who is the father of her children.The film has two strengths. One is its vivid photography, which well captures the brilliant light and colours of Marrakesh (a fascinating if exhausting place to visit). The other is the charm and naturalness of the two young actresses who play Bea and Lucy. The two girls are carefully distinguished; Lucy is happy with her life in Morocco, whereas Bea, the elder, wants nothing more than to return to a "normal" life in London. (The odd title "Hideous Kinky" is a meaningless phrase invented by the two girls as part of a children's game).The film does not, however, have much else going for it. Morocco seems to have a strange effect on European filmmakers; I was reminded of Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Sheltering Sky", another beautifully photographed but lifeless film set in the same country. "Hideous Kinky" is not quite as bad as Bertolucci's mammoth epic of tedium (for a start it is considerably shorter), but it is still dull and uninteresting. One reviewer describes it as "refreshingly free of a rigorous story line", which he evidently intended as praise but which struck me as a euphemism for "having nowhere to go and nothing to say". Kate Winslet could do little with the character of Julia, who came across as a rather unattractive personality. It is ironical that someone so intent on the "annihilation of the ego" (the goal of Sufism) should be so egotistical; she is so obsessed with her own spiritual journey that she neglects her children. The film, however, misses the opportunity to explore the ironies and contradictions in the hippie shopping-cart attitude to religion.Following the immense success of "Titanic", Winslet was in the enviable position of being able to choose just about any role she wanted. A small-scale, low-budget European art film like "Hideous Kinky" was therefore a strange career move, but doubtless Winslet wanted to prove to the world and to herself that, despite having played the leading role in a huge blockbuster, she was still a quirky free spirit. (Another egotistical way of annihilating one's ego?) Watching the film, however, I was reminded of that quote from Ken Loach's "Poor Cow", immortalising a dull West London suburb:- "When Tom was in work the world was our oyster. And we chose Ruislip".In 1998, the world was Kate Winslet's oyster. And she chose the cinematic equivalent of Ruislip. 4/10

When we watched "Hideous Kinky" a few years ago, it seemed like a period piece: it looked at the days when people could go to a place like Morocco and not have to fear for their lives. Since September 11, 2001, it's become even more of a period piece.Is it a good movie? Even if the movie's no masterpiece, it's good just to be able to see Kate Winslet as a Swinging London flower child taking her daughters to Morocco, where she strikes up a relation with a local man. That probably would be dangerous nowadays.So see it just for that. Given the current state of the world, you may not have much more time to watch it.

This is simply a beautiful film, breathtakingly shot, with wonderful acting especially so by Carrie Mullan. Of the two girls who play the daughters of Kate Winslet, she rightly so has the (even if only slightly so) bigger acting part. Refreshingly free of a rigorous story line, you can just enjoy the atmosphere and exquisite photography. And, of course the actors. Winslet is her usual self, solid acting, and she's apparently not afraid to show herself in a less than perfect physical appearance, against the Standard-Issued-Hollywood-Bodies culture. A leeettle chubby, she's the perfect reflection of Greek sculpture. Mullan's mimic is very grown-up, Riza is good, though at times her inexperience shines through and Taghmaoui is quite sympathetic. The nudity in this film should not be considered daring in this day and age, and is thus true to the film's era. The makers obviously thought something like: 'Shove it, if this arouses or excites you, there's something very wrong with you' and i salute them for it.8/10 The Melancholic Alcoholic.

I never understand what other people look for in films so I never quite understand negative reviews of quality movies. To me, I just love it when a story comes at me out of nowhere, like it does in Hideous Kinky, and dishes up characters I have to work at to understand. I also love photography, especially when someone goes to obvious great lengths to put together breathtaking scenes. Kate Winslet is stunning to watch, as always, and her character is artfully portrayed with both painful honesty and dignity. The two little girls, played by Bella Riza and Carrie Mullan, absolutely stole every scene they were in and the movie is probably worth watching just for the two of them being in it. Hideous Kinky is a great example of what good storytelling is all about and I give the director, Gillies MacKinnon, a perfect "10" for the effort.