Inspired by Yasujiro Ozu’s LATE SPRING, the story centers on the close bond between African-born train engineer Lionel (Descas) and his devoted daughter Jo (Diop)--a bond that he realizes must be severed for his daughter’s good. Complicating matters are Gabrielle (Nicole Dogué), an exuberant cab driver who used to be Lionel’s lover, and Noé (Grégoire Colin), a restless young man who has a yen for Jo. One of Denis’s best-reviewed and most audience-friendly films, 35 SHOTS OF RUM retains her elliptical narrative strategies and political preoccupations but clearly subordinates them to the deep emotional currents among the characters--beautifully displayed in a rainy-night gathering in a Jamaican cafe that ranks among the director’s greatest scenes.
