Mountains

‘Behind mountains there are more mountains,’ the Haitian proverb which opens cowriter (with Robert Colom)/director Monica Sorelle’s feature directorial debut, may be interpreted to say that once you have conquered one obstacle, another will take its place.   Xavier (Atibon Nazaire, "Mother of George," "Farewell Amor"), a Haitian demolition worker in Miami, is about to grab hold of his own American Dream before he realizes just what is stacked against him in “Mountains.”

Laura's Review: A-

There have been a number of memorable feature debuts this year, but Sorelle’s is one of the most accomplished, delving as it does into issues of gentrification, the disconnect between immigrants and their American born children, the American Dream, racism and the importance of culture within ethnic communities all embedded within an intimate family drama.  Stars Nazaire and dancer/choreographer Sheila Anozier as his wife Esperance form a palpably loving bond that anchors the film and makes Xavier’s dreams, especially in consideration of his ‘Queen,’ all the more moving.

After a day spent tearing down a modest home in Miami’s Little Haiti, Xavier slows down on his way home to note a similar one bearing a For Sale sign, which he then proposes to his wife as the ideal place to gather family and friends with a yard for gardening and her own room for her sewing.  He also notes that their adult son, Junior (stand-up comic Chris Renois), doesn’t appear to be moving out anytime soon as Esperance shushes him, a classic case of maternal buffer between father and son.

Xavier plays a similar role, attempting to keep the peace between the boss’s nephew and African American Daniel (Roscoè B. Thické III) on the work site, later overhearing his boss’s conversation with his relative referring to the regulatory necessity of keeping Daniel on despite the ‘black stench.’  We’re given a glimpse of Esperance’s life outside the home as she works as a school crossing guard while also accepting jobs to make dresses for special occasions.  And, as it turns out, although Junior rejects speaking Creole and getting a traditional job, we’ll witness him give a very promising and entertaining standup performance (which tips its hat to Richard Pryor), a career ambition unfathomable to Xavier.  After an ironic and devastating turn of events, Xavier’s realization that his son has a choice that was unavailable to him and his wife offers a glimmer of hope, that American Dream once again on the horizon.

Sorelle exhibits an incredibly assured hand at the helm, little grace notes such as a change in the neighbor walking by chatting on the phone in front of Xavier’s home adding to her themes.  She’s elicited natural performances from a wide ranging cast, Anozier a standout with her nonverbal expressions while maintaining family balance.  Cinematographer Javier Labrador Deulofeu goes wide for work scenes, close and intimate with family, the latter bursting with color, production designer Helen Peña providing a stark contrast outside the Haitian community which is depicted as blandly neutral.  Dyani Douze’s music ranges from tom toms and harp like strings to a trance synth score backing Junior’s stand-up.

Sorelle wraps with a bit of magical realism, a Haitian Ra-Ra, or neighborhood street procession, enveloping Xavier, an illustration of community embraced and lost.  “Mountains” is a beautifully layered, auspicious debut.

Robin's Review: A-

Music Box films released "Mountains" in Miami on 8/16/24, expanding in subsequent weeks.  Click here for play dates.