Directed by:
Ladj LyCinematography:
Julien PoupardComposer:
Pink NoiseCast:
Damien Bonnard, Alexis Manenti, Djibril Zonga, Issa Perica, Jeanne Balibar, Al-Hassan Ly, Almamy Kanoute, Steve Tientcheu, Kija King, Lucas Omiri, Bilel ChikriPlots(1)
Stephane, only just arrived from Cherbourg, joins the anti criminality brigade of Montfermeil in a sensitive district of the Paris suburbs. Paired up with Chris and Gwada whose methods are sometimes "special" he rapidly discovers the tensions between the various neighborhood groups. When an arrest starts to get out of hand, a drone is filming every move they make. (Cannes Film Festival)
(more)Videos (3)
Reviews (8)
Given the title Les Misérables, I would have expected a bit more of a connection to Victor Hugo's famous novel, so I'm quite disappointed. The beginning of the film and the intense ending are okay, but the subplot with the stolen lion cub seems a bit contrived to me. I was bored quite often while watching the film, not to mention that it was impossible to sympathize with anyone at all. (65%)
()
A 90% great contribution to the category of crime thrillers from the French banlieues that distinguishes itself from the competition by its effort to portray a broad spectrum of relationships between different factions and generations, which are connected by a disparate trio of police officers. But where other films ended, Les Misérables prepares the ground for a climax that will push the whole story to much stronger, more serious and more sophisticated heights. This feature-length debut, expanding the director’s short film of the same name into a more complex fresco of contemporary France, thus brings forth provocative contemplation on more general themes connected with education, patterns of behaviour and pride and rage. The themes that Mathieu Kassovitz addressed years ago in the ground-breaking Le Haine are now back with a vengeance in Les Misérables.
()
Ladj Ly is proving to be one hell of a storyteller as a debut filmmaker. Through an unusually long exposition, he first thoroughly introduces the viewer to the setting, only to later develop a conflict that is, to the eye, trite but extremely powerful in its message in a very careful and evocative way. The Parisian suburbs in his portrayal are indeed reminiscent of a jungle, where the biggest source of problems does not flow from this or that social group, but from the twisted nature of human character (and it frankly does not matter on which side). Moreover, the narrative concept of having the entire plot take place over two days brilliantly adds to the much greater urgency of the story. Don't really expect a conciliatory ending here.
()
The French once again focused on drama (a genre that has been outperforming American productions in recent years, as they really know how to do it), and once again, they succeeded. Apart from the setting and a single verbal reference, this film has nothing to do with "Les Misérables"; it’s more about showing viewers what suburban life looks like today. Boy gangs, adult gangs, and police who also have to play a dirty game. It will definitely leave you feeling unsettled. I truly admire the naturalistic touch; the French always manage to wrap me around their finger with their uncompromising approach. The main character is quite a likable guy, but in this harsh environment, you can’t play fair or by any rules; it’s more like the law of the jungle. Don’t expect any high-octane action, but there are plenty of tense moments, like the scene with the lion, which had me on the edge of my seat—a masterfully built moment. And the harsh ending topped it off; I was expecting something in a similar vein, but this was surprising. It’s up to each viewer to interpret it as they wish. For me, it’s a solid 7.5/10.
()
Ethnically wild self-governing suburbs, that's my thing. In an age of fearful consumerist bourgeoisie, it somehow comforts me to know that metropolises around the world are unable to cope with near-autonomous areas where law enforcement, local authorities, and the mafia struggle day in and day out to keep the pressure cooker under the lid. Les Misérables has been much compared to Training Day, but in contrast, the confrontational scenes between the SCU and the residents of Montfermeil are shot in such a way that everyone here seems like a hostile and unknown third party (when the SCU bullies little boys in the doorway of a house, for example, the scene is shot from inside the house, not from behind the backs of the SCU whose story we are following). Up until the last moment, I assumed that the film would end along with that one day, because everything seemed to be wrapped up. Which actually projected the characters' cynicism onto me as a viewer, because everything was definitely not concluded, and then the subsequent explosive finale with Haneke's White Ribbon punchline offered an interesting and controversial vision that, by the nature of these risky suburbs, there's a far greater possibility of youth getting satisfaction for its considerable lawlessness than in the normal world. All it takes is one wave of a police shotgun. PS: it made me very nervous that the main character's face looks like the skin of an NPC from Half-Life 2
()
Ads