Dancehall Queen

Knowing patois is a useful skill when it comes to understanding this Jamacian street film. Audrey Reid stars as a single mother, struggling to survive by selling drinks outside popular dance halls, while predatory men are after her 15-year-old daughter. Adopting a mystery persona, Reid starts wowing in the dance halls despite heaving midriff and bulging bottom. The film forms an interesting alternative to the trite stereotypical "feminine struggle" screenplays that emerge out of the Hollywood stable. The soundtrack is as atmospheric as walking through the Notting Hill Carnival, but the sudden shift from Reid's extremely grim life into comedy doesn't quite hang together.