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Showing all 13 reviews...
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An extraordinarily rich and probing film about the immigrant experience in the South of France. Intimate and moving without being sentimental at two and a half hours the film does not feel long at all. This Tunisian born director is certainly establishing himself as a major player in world cinema.
10/10
8.11.2008 -
ajproczek@ - age: 36-49
Watching a lot of people moan and suffer wasn't a great way to spend 150 minutes, and the story didn't seem to have much of a point! Redeeming qualities were the music and a (limited) insight into Algerian culture. I don't regret having seen this movie but honestly I wish I had chosen a different one, and I can't say I would recommend it to anyone!
5/10
31.10.2008 -
mockpossum@ - age: 26-35
[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
15 minutes close ups of people chewing food and speaking at the same time; close ups of a woman crying and screaming after she discovers that she has been cheated on that last for an eternity (good actress though); close ups of older people with bad teeth and lots of wrinkles... in short I had to get out I just could not stand it anymore! This movie is not only very very long, it is also very ugly.
2/10
9.9.2008 -
apacotille@
At our time, where everything needs to move fast and bring results in nothing on time, this movie may be a challenge to the viewers. There is, however, a series of realistic scenes of daily life of an Algerian family ongoing. Without a doubt worth seeing.
7/10
23.8.2008 -
monika@ - age: 50+
The film needed a lot of editing - it could have lost an hour with no damage - and rewriting of the script. Too many sub plots, and characterisation was too impressionistic and weak, making it hard to care about many of the people. The ending was obvious after about half an hour. 4 seems a generous rating.
4/10
22.8.2008 -
rcc@ - age: 50+
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This movie caught me off guard. I knew it was a long movie (it runs 2 hours and 31 minutes), but I did not expect it to be so slow paced and dialogue driven. It's almost a docu-drama, as the movie is divided into probably less than 20 scenes, but most of the scenes are very long, and feature various characters involved in an in-depth exchange. It's almost as if the director had hidden cameras in these various scenes and he shot a genuine daily life occurence. If the actors were actually following a script, then kudos to all of them, as the scenes really felt like an unscripted reality movie in which the characters are given a general theme/topic/direction and they just improvised. It really felt genuine, like we were a fly on the wall and were eavesdropping on this family's drama. I was a little worried after the first 30-40 minutes as I just did not know where this was going, or if it even was going anywhere! But once you get over how the movie is presented and how the story slowly progresses, you actually get to enjoy it, including witnessing an incredible performance by the young actress Hafsia Herzi, truly a name to remember. And you also get to enjoy a great cast and an endearing story. When all is said and done, it is a good and original movie, and it is worth seeing. Even though it has won several awards internationally, it will leave a lot of viewers dumbfounded and scratching their heads. But that's ok. It's art!!!
7/10
20.8.2008 -
rimbaud1972@ - age: 26-35
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A little intense, a little long and yet somehow satisfying at the same time. Very much like family dinners dinners. Worth seeing for sure.
7/10
19.8.2008 -
gonedivingnow@ - age: 36-49
An excellent movie that shows how life can be cruel and wonderful at the same time.
9/10
12.8.2008 -
bernlarouche@ - age: 36-49
Left the movie after half an hour... one of the characters was verbally abusing her 2 year old because she didn't use the potty...
2/10
10.8.2008 -
eviknight@ - age: 50+
It took me a while to get into the movie and at first I found the cinematography dizzying with a lot of camera panning and extreme close-ups. I moved to the back of the theatre and from then on could focus on the story. Although some scenes were too long they were effective at giving you the feeling of discomfort you get when a family reunion or party amongst friends goes wrong. Definitely not a Hollywood movie: it leaves you thinking when you leave the theatre...
7/10
9.8.2008 -
jatek@ - age: 36-49
The film is a slice of life, apparently based on a true story of an aging French ( of Algerian descent) father's attempt to achieve his dream, with the help and the hindrance of his family. The movie was so realistic that at times it moved slowly. There were so many complicated relationships among the characters, that it was a bit difficult to sort out. My wife and I talked about the movie afterwards and each of us had a different perspective. It contains many universal themes about family, relationships, and problems of aging. I found it thought provoking. It was well acted, but would be a better movie if judiciously cut to 2 hours rather than 2 hours and 30 minutes.
7/10
4.8.2008 -
jonandtess@ - age: 50+
I do not usually comment on this webpage, but I felt so moved by this movie that I thought I might drop a quick line on its behalf. This movie is both as simple and as powerful as movies can get. One sees first and second generation migrants who speak and act French, but still consider themselves outsiders (and are regarded as so by others) Also, one sees the complexity of a family that is both united and broken. Compassion, fury, pity, amusement and desperation are all sentiments elicited by this film. I was very pleased to have seen it.
10/10
2.8.2008 -
peillo22@ - age: 26-35
Good attempt to bridge native-immigrant divide. Good music, unnecessarily long. Just like some stupid french movies in search of some philosophical and nonlinear chain of events, too many plots in one, ever diverging, such a pitiful cadence...
6/10
2.8.2008 -
a111111111111@ - age: 26-35
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