HILARIOUS, FARCICAL, CHILDISH MATRYOSHKA

If you like these Russian dolls, you will feel at home. The poor Amelia, guided, or rater misguided by Donovan is trying to find the truth about her father, but every time she enters one role her father might be playing, it is only a covering, and she finds out there is another role, just one skin deeper, and that can go on forever, though normally it should only count seven skins, no more.

In this small “French” Polynesian island in the South Pacific, life is like farniente in Heaven, though it is in fact, for some you will not see, ethical slavery in Hell. Donovan is Satan in this Inferno. But Amelia will have to count on the three children, her one brother, and two sisters. She will be helped by the local Catholic priest, who is only interested in getting the roof of his church repaired. She will also discover the truth, all by herself.

All that monopoly game for 18 million US dollars is hilarious, from one qui pro quo to another misleading untruth, and then to the next truthful lie. Anyone sane would become insane, crazy, in one word, a ZANI or a smart Dummkopf, but then they might be able to speak German. Interesting. If they turned into smartphones, they could speak SMS or TXT. That’s the new literacy. But the shrew will be tamed with a good spank and a couple of kisses, certainly not on her bubble butt. Let’s say it looked like a French Kiss. Normal since the closest city is French Tahiti.

2. JOHN WAYNE – DONOVAN’S REEF –
1963

POLYNESIAN MATRYOSHKA

This film is full of folkloric elements from Polynesia in the South Pacific, on one small island, a natural
paradise. At the same time, it is funny by bringing a woman who was born and raised in the narrow-minded,
straight ethics of Boston, New England, into her father’s environment there. He left his family in Boston very
early, so that his daughter did not know him. Her grandfather leaves behind a heritage of US$18 million to go
to her father. But she must go to this Polynesian island, and she must bring back the proof that he has
always abided by the standard Boston Ethics.

Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan takes care of her when she arrives, but he had to move the three
children of the father, Dr. William Dedham, because the Doctor got these children from a local princess on
the island, a Polynesian princess, and all of them were absolutely out of wedlock. Racism and religious
fundamentalism. The season is Christmas in this island that is a French colony, hence Catholic, and the
priest is a benevolent man who knows God tells him to be empathetic and tolerant. Yet he will go along with
the lie. And that God can strike you with lightning if you use his name in vain.



But she discovers her father has done a whole lifetime of good work with the local people, with his
hospital and dispensary. But she discovers the fact that the three children are not Donovan’s, but her own
father’s. The elder girl is the heiress of the title and social position of her mother, a Polynesian princess, and
this young girl in her teenage is supposed to preside over the Christmas festivities. Donovan just disappears,
but Amelia has to leave, and she runs to Donovan’s saloon to say goodbye to him and to accuse him of
being a liar who bamboozled her.

But we are having a comedy, not a melodrama. So, Donovan reminds her of her kiss a couple of days
before, calls her an old spinster, and takes her forcefully, spanks her, and kisses her again. They agree to
marry at once, and that solves the heritage. It will go to her because of the “fornication” of the Doctor and
father, and she will get it, but she will stay on the island. So, the money will be available for the father and his
three mixed-blood children as much as for Amelia herself. Her husband, Donovan, does not need any
because he has most of the businesses on the island, commercial ventures like the saloon and other stores,
transportation, particularly maritime, hence fishing and other commercial enterprises.

3. To conclude the vivacious love story, Donovan has the roof of the church repaired, and that had been a
very long ordeal since, up to now, the roof was at least half gone.

Enjoy the fun and be sure you will not have to sprain your mental ankles. The story is for a family
audience, but I must admit that Amelia’s bathing suit is frankly slightly too much of a burkini for my taste. But,
like all Russian matryoshka dolls, there is a deeper layer under it.

Dr. Jacques COULARDEAU



VERSION FRANÇAISE

MATRIOCHKA POLYN ÉSIENNE

Ce film regorge d'éléments folkloriques de la Polynésie, dans le Pacifique Sud, sur une petite île
paradisiaque. Il est également amusant de présenter une femme née et élevée dans l'éthique étroite et
stricte de Boston, en Nouvelle-Angleterre, dans l'environnement de son père. Il a quitté sa famille de Boston
très tôt, si bien que sa fille ne l'a pas connu. Son grand-père lui a légué un héritage de 18 millions de dollars.
Mais elle doit se rendre sur cette île polynésienne et rapporter la preuve que son père a toujours respecté
les normes éthiques de Boston.

4. Michael Patrick « Guns » Donovan s'occupe d'elle à son arrivée, mais il a dû déplacer les trois enfants
du père, le Dr William Dedham, car le Docteur les a eus d'une princesse locale de l'île, une princesse
polynésienne, et tous étaient nés en dehors d’un rapport matrimonial officiel. Racisme et fondamentalisme
religieux. C'est Noël sur cette île, colonie française, donc catholique, et le prêtre est un homme bienveillant
qui sait que Dieu lui ordonne d'être empathique et tolérant. Pourtant, il accepte le mensonge. Et il sait que
Dieu peut vous foudroyer si vous utilisez son nom en vain.

Mais elle découvre que son père a consacré toute sa vie à œuvrer pour la population locale, avec son
hôpital et son dispensaire. Mais elle découvre que les trois enfants ne sont pas ceux de Donovan, mais ceux
de son propre père. L'aînée est l'héritière du titre et de la position sociale de sa mère, une princesse
polynésienne, et cette jeune adolescente est censée présider les festivités de Noël. Donovan disparaît, mais
Amelia doit partir. Elle court au saloon de Donovan pour lui dire au revoir et l'accuser d'être un menteur qui
l'a embobinée.



Mais nous assistons à une comédie, pas à un mélodrame. Donovan lui rappelle alors son baiser d'il y a
quelques jours, la traite de vieille fille, la prend de force, la fesse et l'embrasse à nouveau. Ils conviennent de
se marier immédiatement, ce qui règle la question de l'héritage. Il reviendra à Amelia du fait de la
« fornication » du Docteur son père, et elle l'obtiendra, mais elle restera sur l'île. Ainsi, l'argent sera
disponible pour le père et ses trois enfants métis autant que pour Amelia elle-même. Son mari, Donovan,
n'en a pas besoin car il possède la plupart des commerces de l'île : des entreprises commerciales comme le
saloon et d'autres magasins, des transports, notamment maritimes, d'où la pêche et d'autres entreprises
mercantiles.

5. Pour conclure cette histoire d'amour pleine de vie, Donovan fait réparer le toit de l'église, une épreuve
pour cette église et son curé qui a été longue, car jusqu'à présent, le toit était au moins à moitié détruit et
prenait l’eau comme une passoire, sans la tenir plus d’une microseconde.

Rigolez un bon coup et soyez sûrs que vous ne vous foulerez pas la moindre cheville mentale. L'histoire
est destinée à un public familial, mais je dois admettre que le maillot de bain d'Amélia fait franchement un
peu trop burkini à mon goût. Mais, comme toutes les poupées russes, il y a une couche plus profonde juste
en-dessous.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU