The Divorce (2008)

Going in blind is part of the fun with a project like my A-Z World Movie Tour, but Gabon really did throw me in at the deep end. There are barely any reviews out there for The Divorce, which I ended up tracking down on YouTube, so I had absolutely no frame of reference walking into it. No expectations, no spoilers, no nothing. Sometimes that works in a film's favour. Here, it mostly just confirmed that the obscurity is probably deserved.

Let me get the title out of the way first, because it's a bit misleading. The Divorce sets you up for something fractured and final, a story about a relationship that has run its course and the fallout that follows. What you actually get is closer to a rough patch. The couple at the centre of the story are struggling, yes. Things get difficult, yes. But the whole arc is really pointed towards reconciliation rather than separation. There's nothing wrong with that as a story, but calling it The Divorce feels like a bit of a bait and switch. Something like The Crisis or even just The Rough Patch would be a more honest title for what's on screen.

As a family drama it's watchable enough. I wasn't checking the time or looking for the exit, which counts for something. It kept me engaged for its entire running time, and with a film this difficult to find any information about, that's genuinely not nothing. But watchable and good aren't the same thing, and there are some real technical problems here that I can't just wave away.

The cinematography is rough. Basic would be a generous description for most of it, and there are stretches where it's simply too dark to make out what's actually happening on screen. I don't mean dramatically, atmospherically dark. I mean someone forgot to light the scene properly, and you're left squinting trying to piece together what's going on. It's distracting, and it pulls you out of the emotional beats the film is clearly trying to land.

The one thing that genuinely impressed me was the music. The score carries real feeling and does a lot of heavy lifting in the moments where the visuals let things down. It gave the film a warmth and a sense of place that the rest of the production struggles to provide. If you watch it, and I imagine most of you won't be rushing to, pay attention to the soundtrack. It's the most accomplished element by some distance.

Family drama from this part of the world is a fascinating genre to explore, and I've found myself drawn into similar territory before. Yi Yi (2000) is the gold standard for me when it comes to watching a family pull apart and try to understand itself, and the distance between that film and this one is considerable. That's not really a fair comparison given the resources involved, but it does illustrate what this kind of story can be when everything clicks.

The Divorce doesn't click, not quite. It's a decent enough way to spend an evening if you're ticking off countries and Gabon comes up on the list, and the music alone gives it something to stand on. But the misleading title, the murky visuals and a story that never quite digs deep enough into its own drama mean it sits comfortably in the two-star bracket. Inoffensive, occasionally engaging, and ultimately, well, fine. Gabon, I appreciate you showing up. I hope next time the lights are on.

Two stars.

Rating: ★★  | Year: 2008  | Watched: 2025-06-20

View on Letterboxd →

Related on Movies With Macca

More from the 2000s: Kirikou and the Wild Beasts (2005) · Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) · Daredevil (2003) · Apocalypto (2006)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)