I Dreamed Of Africa (eng)
Based on the book of the same name, this is the true story of Kuki Gallman (Basinger), an Italian woman who had a cultural awakening while travelling through Kenya. Finding her new purpose in life, Kuki, along with her husband (Perez) and son (Aiken), becomes an activist for endangered African animals, most notably elephants and rhinoceri. Her resulting battles with those opposing her ideas provide the greatest conflict in this inspiring film.
Starring: Kim Basinger , Vincent Perez , Liam Aiken , Eva Marie Saint , Garrett Strommen .

'I Dreamed of Africa' has an impressive cast listing, but holy cow, was it a terribly, terribly slow paced movie! It was the longest 2 hours of my life. After watching this movie, I don't think you have to visit Africa anymore. All the scenic shots in the movie were long and quite simply boring, no offence to Africa of course!

The star of this movie is quite obviously Kim Basinger, as she is in every scene except one or two. Her face is definitely etched in my brain now. So if you're a die-hard fan of Basinger, then you won't be disappointed. This is Basinger's first motion picture since winning the 1998 Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress for her role in "L.A Confidential". She plays the role of Kuki Gallman, an Italian, who embraced Africa without restraint and regret.

The movie is based on the novel, "I Dreamed of Africa", by Kuki Gallman, so it's a true story. After a near fatal car crash in Italy, the feeling that she has not accomplished much in life overwhelms Kuki. However her stay at the hospital is made tolerable by visits from her mother, son and the driver of the car, Paolo. Soon a relationship between Kuki and Paolo, played by Vincent Perez ("The Crow: City Of Angels") blossoms. Well naturally they get married and where do you think they decide to settle down? That's right, Africa!

So Paolo sells his house and everything he owns to buy a cattle ranch in Africa. An amazing move I must say, you won't find a Malaysian family doing that. Heaven forbid if there is no Giant Hypermart around the corner or a steady water supply!

Kuki's son Emanuele played by Liam Aiken who starred in the hit "StepMom", takes a liking to Africa right from the start and enjoys the company of snakes. He keeps the snakes as pets, which I though was kind of sad, as they are cooped up in a glass tank all day when they could be slithering about. His parents on the other hand are fighting for the freedom and preservation of animals! Ironic, isn't it?

The story basically narrates the trials and tribulations that Kuki had to go through when she made the decision to make Africa her home. Loneliness, joy, death, promises and resurrection punctuated her life. Even as lions visited her compound nightly and elephants thought that her vegetables were the tastiest in the area, she still resiliently continued on with life.

Reading the book might be a better choice in order to understand Kuki Gallman's life in Africa. Kim Basinger's somewhat stiff acting failed to portray the role of Kuki properly. It just goes to prove that the film version of a book never does the story justice. So my recommendation is that you go read "I Dreamed Of Africa: The Book" and then perhaps take a vacation in Africa!