MUSSELS IN LOVE (Willemiek Kluijfhout). 73 minutes. Subtitled. Opens Friday (July 26) at Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. For times, see listings. Rating: NN
You may never look at moules marinières in the same way after watching a mussel ejaculate.
Foodie doc Mussels In Love showcases expert 35mm camerawork that plays up the romance of the titular aphrodisiac while in its reproductive stages. The sensual, voyeuristic footage of mussels, which just happen to resemble human genitalia, is both beautiful and perverse.
These scenes of shellfish getting off come early on, and the doc’s other concerns are nowhere near as fascinating.Yep, the film climaxes too soon. While charting the various farming and eating practices associated with the Dutch shellfish industry, Mussels in Love fails to construct a cohesive narrative or argument.
There are the fishermen who are bitter about legislation that prevents them from catching mussel seed the biologist who tickles and teases mussels in a lab so they’ll reproduce, building a new method of farming and finally, the chef who discusses the art of preparing mussels.
These segments, while moderately informative, have little to do with each other and leave much unexplained. The audience can either connect the dots or stop caring about a doc that looks appealing but remains undercooked.
