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Smile Orange (1974)

Average user rating

5 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Where Trevor Rhone's script for The Harder They Come relocated Hollywood B movie conventions in a specifically Jamaican context, his first film as director does much the same with the stock material of British comedy. From this he's crafted a genuinely hilarious politicised farce; a satire on tourism that centres on hotel waiter Ringo Smith's efforts to exploit the exploiters. One long, two-handed scene exemplifies the balance Rhone achieves, when Ringo (Bradshaw) takes a raw busboy in hand, informs him that 'any black man that can't play a part's gonna starve to death', and proceeds first to teach him waiting etiquette, then how to screw white tourists, literally and figuratively. The Mocho Beach Hotel, main locale of this anarchic entertainment, has inevitably been characterised as a Jamaican Fawlty Towers, but it's hard to imagine even Basil rigging a crab race! Black joy indeed, from which a few technical rough ends detract nothing.

Author: PT

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

Alan said...

Posted on Dec 08 2008 18:45 One of the funniest films I have seen. It works on many levels, superbly entertaining.

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montanza said...

Posted on Mar 16 2008 22:29 i have seen this film on youtube there are about 12-13 chapters of the whole film

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April said...

Posted on Jan 22 2008 15:46 This is the best film to come out of Jamaica, I love it!!!! Laugh till u cry!!!

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valerie coates said...

Posted on Dec 07 2007 16:52 This has been the funniest jamaican film I have ever seen. That is why I want to own it on dvd.

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Millie said...

Posted on Dec 04 2007 21:18 Can this film be purchased any where. I soooo love the film and when I talk about it to people, they think I am making it up

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