Review of Desert Flower (2009) by Ro D — 27 Mar 2011

Every once in a while I'll go see a little independent film that is playing in only one or a few theaters and has hardly been reviewed. I simply read a little about it and go and see it. And "Desert Flower" was one of those movies, and I'm glad I did.

It's an autobiographical account of Waris Dirie, a Somalian nomad woman circumcised at 3, sold in marriage at 13, and was helped out of Africa to London. She struggled to work and survive, until she was discovered by a photographer and soon became a supermodel.

The film is moving and insightful, with a great lead performance by Liya Kebede as Waris. She's able to tell so much with her face, that we as the audience always know exactly how she's feeling.

There are some great supporting performances, especially that of the terrific Sally Hawkins as Marilyn, a struggling aspiring dancer who befriends Waris and takes her into her very small dorm-like apartment.

Timothy Spall is also great in a limited role as the photographer who finds Waris. I felt that some characters don't really work for me, mainly Craig Parkinson's character as a workman who works in the building that Waris and Marilyn live; his storyline kinda gets distracting.

But there are some incredibly moving, tear-jerker scenes. The scene where Waris reveals her circumcision to Marilyn is powerful, and the flashback to when the 3-year old Waris underwent that terrible act is almost just too hard too watch.

The film can be tough, but it offers a lot of life as well. I really wish this film could get to a wider audience.