A Thousand Months Movie Review:

A comedy - drama about an eight year - old boy called Medhi who is growing up in a Moroccan village. He’s the centre of the tale and we see most things from his naïve perspective.

His father, whom he has been told is “in France,” is actually in prison serving some serious time for his part in a labour strike.
Medhi lives with his highly - strung mother and kindly grandfather in a modest home. It’s getting even more modest by the day, as grandpa has to keep selling furniture to keep the family fed and clothed.

The tale takes place during the Islamic festival of Ramadan, the final day of which is so important, it’s like “A Thousand Months”
It’s a snapshot of small – town life, just like many other movies, but it’s unusual location and lifestyle carry with them a fresh resonance
Medhi is a sweetheart, imbuing each scene with innocence, no matter how alarming the circumstances might be. He’s naughty, but you can’t get mad at him.

It is interesting to see how enormously the belief system affects everyday life; people are rife with superstitions too, and constantly wary of those who don’t abide by the religion.
One of the most charming continuities is Medhi’s attachment to ‘the chair’ - you see, he’s been assigned by his schoolteacher as the caretaker of ‘the chair’ (as it’s the most valuable item in their school-room), and teacher is apt to cancel lessons through lack of chair - provision.
’The chair’ inhabits almost every shot; Medhi carries it around on his head, up cliffs, everywhere. It makes a handy prop for plenty of scenes, and has a bearing on how the story concludes too.

The teacher (and chair lover), in question, is a hopelessly romantic soul and tortured poet, as well as being one of the most interesting characters. He professes his love to Medhi’s pretty neighbour through scented letters, cutting the power to the TV aerials (hilarious, but, don’t ask why), and penning soppy rhymes.
Malika, the mayor’s daughter, is easily identifiable as the rebellious kid, showing that teenagers everywhere can be cheeky little bleeders.

She attends protests, listens to Kate Bush and slaps on the make-up during Ramadan (seemingly an arrestable offence), and is a breath of fresh air - needless to say Medhi is quite in awe of her and their almost sibling relationship is very engaging.

You’re transported right back to childhood sometimes, where parents will say anything to keep you out of trouble.
Most interesting, plot-wise, is the mob mentality that takes hold so easily, a side - effect of living in a place where lack of work and drought leave many people poor and hungry.

There are some distinctive techniques used in filming, in one scene the entire lens is filled with a view through the boy’s colourful sweet wrapper, representative of his youthful optimism, and other shots are so distant that people are almost dots (more room for the arid scenery).

One element of “A Thousand Months” that may frustrate is the pacing – it’s slo-o-ow. At almost two hours long, it meanders a lot, especially considering that not a lot happens.
The dusty locations are beautiful, though, and Medhi is a cutie – pie. When he comes out of a Bruce Lee movie, all psyched up, his actions might make you want to steal him!

This movie has limited appeal, and isn’t ‘must – see’, but does act as an amusing (and educational) insight into another way of life.

Terresa Gaffney

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