Unfocused 'Bayou' is noxious

DESERT BAYOU — * 1/2 — Documentary feature about Hurricane Katrina evacuees; not rated, probable R (violence, profanity, drugs, vulgarity, slurs)

The thousands of New Orleans residents who were evacuated from the city after Hurricane Katrina spent considerable time trying to find new homes. "Desert Bayou," a documentary that profiles a handful of those refugees, spends considerable time just trying to find a point.

Ostensibly, "Desert Bayou" is about some of the evacuees who were sent to Utah, and at the outset, the film almost appears to be a nasty and rather virulent attack on both Utah culture and the LDS Church.

Then it changes direction completely by focusing on the evacuees.

Then it changes direction again, by looking at some of the aid workers.

And then it changes direction yet again, by criticizing the cleanup and response efforts in Louisiana.

Unfortunately, the film doesn't do any of these things particularly well. And as a result, it feels unfocused and rambling.

Screenwriter Thomas Lemmer and director Alex LeMay appear to have some sort of agenda or ax to grind. There's little reason for them to include outspoken radio and television host Shmuley Boteach, except to continue the Utah bashing.

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. get a little time to respond to some of the film's charges, but that only takes more time away from the Katrina survivors' stories.

The film might not be so noxious if it wasn't doing the subjects such a disservice. And frankly, a lot of this material was done much better in Spike Lee's superb "When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts," which aired last year on HBO.

"Desert Bayou" is not rated but would probably receive an R for strong, sometimes disturbing violent imagery (including photos of dead bodies), strong sexual language (profanity and crude slang terms), drug references (cocaine) and slurs based on race and ethnicity. Running time: 90 minutes.

---

E-mail: jeff@desnews.com