This was supposed to be Doc’s last abduction, so you know what that means. Their latest target is Benjamin Perralt, Jr. (a.k.a. Ti Ben), the semi-estranged son of Perralt Sr., an elite politician running for President. They assume it is a straight ransom job, but it is really part of a bigger political power play. Regardless, they are not supposed to kill Ti Ben, but they do, accidentally.
Obviously, they are in serious hot water, so they ferry the dead body around Port-au-Prince, almost like Weekend at Bernie’s, trying to devise circumstances to explain Ti Ben’s death that would not appear to be their fault. Instead, they dig themselves into a deeper hole, kidnapping the Voltaires, a bickering and extremely-expecting couple, as part of a hair-brained, improvised plan.
Frankly, Kidnapping Inc sounds more farcical than it really is. The comedy is about as black as it gets, but the conditions behind-the-scenes were even more serious. Three crew members were kidnapped during the production and one member of both the cast and crew were fatally killed after shooting wrapped. No film needs that kind of authenticity.
Understandably, the screenplay credited to Mourral, Jasmuel Andri, and Gilbert Mirambeau Jr., expresses considerable anger. Sometimes, it comes out in questionable ways, particularly the constant, divisive association of lighter-skinned “mulattos” like Perralt, Sr. with wealth, privilege, and corruption.
In some ways, the messiness of Kidnapping Inc aptly reflects its chaotic setting. It convincingly diagnoses many of Haiiti’s social pathologies, mostly intentionally, but sometimes inadvertently. Recommended for the gallows humor, Kidnapping Inc. opens today (2/7) at Film Noir Cinema in Brooklyn.
