I DREAMED OF AFRICA - PG-13

Here's a movie that tried very hard to be another "Out of Africa" but lacked the cohesive story line and interesting, well developed characters to do it. It jumps from tragedy to bliss in a blink of an eye. I had no emotional investment in these characters anyway so they could have jumped to the moon and back and it wouldn't have mattered. And even the cinematography, at least as it appears on video, is uninspiring.

Based on a true story (there has to be more to the story then what we're getting here), Kim Basinger plays Kuki Gallmann who lives in Venice, Italy with her young son Emanuele (Liam Aiken). She narrowly escapes death in an accident that takes the life of the wife of a friend, Paolo (Vincent Perez). After recuperating, she and Paolo go on a whirlwind romance (shallow, quick, unappealing) and they resolve to move to Kenya because they both want some adventure in their lives.

Almost as soon as they get there, Paolo runs off with some men to go hunting. He comes back, they fight, he leaves again, the kid gets shipped to boarding school, he comes back and suddenly he's ten years older. But, no one is the wiser.

Kim spends lots of time in dumb voice overs as if trying to explain away her character's emotions and motivations (because you certainly don't get it from the action of the script) otherwise, she's reciting stupid death poems for those dopes she calls loved ones.

Lotta says this movie stinks from the very top to the very bottom and isn't worth the price of a rental, not even if it's a freebie! It's rated PG13 for brief nudity and sensuality, some violence and a lot of stupidity.