Lionel Steketee’s comedy, featuring Fabrice Eboué (Régis) and Thomas N’Gijol (Joël). 1 hour 34 minutes. Released on July 6, 2011 (Mars Distribution).
Thomas N’Gijol and Fabrice Eboué, two stars of the Jamel Comedy Club, exchange lines in a comedy unlike any other. And it truly lives up to its name.
No feature film has ever been as aptly named. “Case départ” tells the unfortunate adventure of Régis (Fabrice Eboué) and Joël (Thomas N’Gijol), two Black half-brothers, who travel to the Antilles to be by their father’s side when a spell sends them to 1780, in the midst of the slave era.
Three centuries later, witnessing scenes of slaves being whipped or beaten intrigues. During the dinner scene at Mr. Jourdain’s, racist and xenophobic clichés are rampant. Furthermore, the close-ups and the vulgarity of characters like Mr. Henry – who regularly shouts, “Your big d…” at the heroes – further accentuate the humiliation of an entire population.
By making this film, Fabrice Eboué and Thomas N’Gijol took risks. Despite careful directing, they fail to denounce racism as they intended. They use humor, which makes many scenes hard to digest. Racism and anti-Semitism are plagues to be fought. Not to be thrown to the wolves.
