Reviewer's Bias*
Loves: Good documentaries, reggae
Likes: Bye Bye Havana
Dislikes: Old whores
Hates: Bait & switch

The Movie
The concept referred to in the title is an interesting one. Women from all over the English-speaking world head to Jamaica looking to have sex with the legendarily endowed men of that island nation. These are women who wouldn't normally turn heads back home, but by giving gifts and money to the impoverished natives, they purchase romantic attention.

Unfortunately, this practice is not what Rent A Rasta is about. It simply uses that interesting concept as a way to segue into a history of the Rastafari religion and culture. The film explores what it means to be a Rastafarian, which is one of the more unique, complex and misunderstood religions the world has seen., thanks in large part to its connections to the products that Jamaica has exported.

I will filly admit that I had trouble following the story in the movie, largely because of the thick accents od the Jamaican people interviewed. Many of the interview segments are shot in loud, energetic settings, and the hard-to-decipher dialogue becomes all-but-intelligible. The parts spoken by the narrator, which describe the Rastafarians roots in Christianity and Judaism and are extremely intriguing, end up being a bit disconnected thanks to the less understandable sections.

I think J. Michael Seyfert's previous film, "Bye Bye Havana," showed more of his ability to creatively depict a depressed society, as this film is very straight forward, blending talking-head interviews with graphics and B-roll to tell the story. Once again, music plays a big part in the film, which makes sense considering how important it is to the culture. Perhaps there's just not the same types of visuals available in Jamaica as there were in Cuba, but this movie doesn't impress as much.

The DVD
The screener DVDTalk received didn't have any packaging, and the disc is a labeled CD-R. It's unknown if this is what the final disc will be. The disc opens with a bit of video, leading into a static, full-frame main menu, which offers a choice to play the film and check out the extras.There are no audio options, subtitles, closed captioning or scene selections.

The Quality
The film is presented in letterboxed widescreen, and looks good, with appropriate color and detail. There's no obvious dirt or damage in the transfer and it's free of digital artifacts.

The audio is delivered in a relatively strong Dolby Digital 5.0 track, which handles the film's Jamaican soundtrack quite well, using the rear and side speakers to create a deeper sound. There's nothing particularly dynamic about the film, and the dialogue, though hard to follow, is free of any distortion.

The Extras
There are a few limited bonus features on this disc, including the film's trailer and a link to the movie's Web site. There's also a nice soundtrack player that allow you to listen to full-length audio songs from the film. It seems to be the full soundtrack, which is playable only on DVD.

The Bottom Line
The origin of Rastafari and its eventual co-opting as the commercial identity of Jamaica is an very interesting story. So is the concept of Rent A Rasta. Neither gets the proper treatment they should get in this short film, thanks to some communication difficulties and a case of switched focus. If you're interested in Rastafari, this isn't a bad place to start, and the good music in the bonus soundtrack player makes for some additional enjoyment.

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*The Reviewer's Bias section is an attempt to help readers use the review to its best effect. By knowing where the reviewer's biases lie on the film's subject matter, one can read the review with the right mindset.