Slack Bay (French: Ma Loute) is a 2016 French comedy film directed by Bruno Dumont. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.[3][4] Set on the north-west coast of France in the summer of 1910,[5][6] with black humour and moments of absurdity the film depicts a confrontation between two families in the midst of a police hunt for missing persons.

Slack Bay
Theatrical release poster
Ma Loute
Directed byBruno Dumont
Written byBruno Dumont
Produced byRachid Bouchareb
Jean Bréhat
Muriel Merlin
StarringFabrice Luchini
Juliette Binoche
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi
CinematographyGuillaume Deffontaines
Edited byBruno Dumont
Basile Belkhiri
Distributed byMemento Films distribution (France)
Release dates
  • 13 May 2016 (2016-05-13) (Cannes)
  • 13 May 2016 (2016-05-13) (France)
Running time
122 minutes
CountriesFrance
Germany
LanguageFrench
Budget$7.5 million[1]
Box office$4.7 million[2]

Plot

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The van Peteghems, rich and inbred industrialists, are visiting their summer mansion above the bay. On the other side of the creek are the Bruforts, fisherfolk with an unusual diet who also ferry people across the bay. The police are investigating because several visitors to the bay have never returned.

The eldest son of the Bruforts, called Ma Loute, falls in love with Billie, the eldest van Peteghem girl. When he discovers she has male organs, in disgust he takes her to the family farm where they store their meat. There she is kept with her mother and uncle, also destined for the cooking pot. With three of the influential van Peteghems missing, the police call in the army. Ma Loute, maybe with some scruples, dumps the three captives in the dunes, where they are found and rejoin their family.

Ma Loute finds happiness with the van Petteghem's maid, who is working class and wholly female. The unfortunate Billie faces an uncertain future.

Cast

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  • Fabrice Luchini as André van Peteghem
  • Juliette Binoche as Aude van Peteghem, André's sister
  • Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as Isabelle van Peteghem, André's wife and cousin
  • Jean-Luc Vincent as Christian van Peteghem, Isabelle's brother and André's cousin
  • Brandon Lavieville as Ma Loute Brufort
  • Raph as Billie van Peteghem, Aude's incestuous daughter
  • Didier Després as Detective Inspector Machin
  • Cyril Rigaux as Detective Malfoy

References

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  1. ^ "Assayas, Dumont, Garcia and Guiraudie: Four aces for the Palme d'Or". Cineuropa.
  2. ^ "Slack Bay (2017) - International Box Office Results - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  3. ^ "2016 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup". IndieWire. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  4. ^ "Cannes 2016: Film Festival Unveils Official Selection Lineup". Variety. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  5. ^ "Cannes Film Review: 'Slack Bay'". Variety. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
  6. ^ "'Slack Bay' ('Ma Loute'): Cannes Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 14 May 2016.
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