Would You Risk Crossing the Sahara Desert with an Old Car...? [A Movie Review]

I started to watch this movie without any idea of the story and without having any expectation about it... All I knew is that one of lead actors was Jean Reno who usually appears in good movies and always delivers a credible performance. I'm glad I picked up this flick as it's a nice and really funny hidden gem. 😊

The plot is a simple one: Tocho, Jean Pierre and Joseba are old friends who used to travel together when they were younger. After losing touch with each other for a few decades, Tocho receives a letter from Joseba's wife, saying that Joseba is living in Mali and is almost at his deathbed. She asks him to pay him a visit before Joseba passes away.

Tocho and Jean Pierre team up with a girl named Ely, who's Joseba's daughter... and the three of them leave on a road trip through Africa on a Renault 4L from the late 1970's. To reach Mali they must travel to Morocco and cross the desert in a ride nearly 4000 km long. That's not an easy feat in any car, let alone in an old Renault 4L!

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What could go wrong? As you can imagine, lots of things can go wrong... and sure enough, they do. The trio get themselves into all kinds of troubles and adventures in Africa, particularly in the Sahara's Desert. They meet some interesting characters, from a Spanish hashish dealer to a Japanese Toyota engineer. Some of the guys help them out when they get themselves into trouble - while other acquaintances are the source of more problems. 🤣

IMDB Link: 4 Latas (2019) by Gerardo Olivares

Jean Pierre is an eccentric old man who needs to go to the bathroom more times than normal... Tocho is a brutish man who seems to be always in a bad mood and constantly with a joint between his lips... and Ely is a rebellious young girl who feels that life has been going badly for her and acts as she has nothing to lose. Three people that couldn't be any more different from each other.

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The cast was very well picked in my opinion. The main trio of characters, Jean Pierre, Tocho and Ely were played by Jean Reno, a Moroccan actor who's been living in France since very young; Hovik Keuchkerian, who was born in Libano and has been living in Spain since he was 3 years old; and last but not the least, Susana Abaitua, a Spanish actress.

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The movie is spoken mostly in Spanish but there are also a few parts in French and Afrikaans, so subtitles are a must.

The landscape of Africa is where the majority of the adventure takes place, so you can be sure the scenery is awesome all through the movie. 😎

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Overall, this is a sweet comedy with a few bits of drama which will keep you smiling through most of the time.

I rate it with an 8 out of 10.

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