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)
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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%)
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(SPOILER ALERT!) Les Miserables has a somewhat slower pace, charting a routine day in the life of several groups of people on a Parisian housing estate. But the routine is disrupted by the theft of a lion cub and an accident in which one boy is injured. The detectives are caught up in a whirlwind of events that builds to an uncomfortably raw finale that makes you dread to think if such things really happen. Apart from the authentic portrayal of the disputes between gangs and the police, it is definitely worth mentioning the sometimes magically psychedelic music, which reminded me of the work of Éric Serra.
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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
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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.
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Based on a single film, I can't estimate whether a francophone Spike Lee was born, but as a feature-length debut, Les Misérables is an extraordinary film full of energy, uncompromisingness, and rebellion against the system. After its release in France, it rightfully dominated the movie theaters and won every award it could. Thematically related to the Danish film Shorta, it is certainly above average and impressive, but fundamentally, it's no more than an action film with a certain social subtext. Les Misérables has a broader scope and showcases the notorious Parisian housing estates inhabited by unemployed (and often unemployable) immigrants and outsiders. Ladj Ly shows the ghettos as a complex ecosystem controlled by local hustlers, criminals, and Islamists. The police can only futilely try to keep up and create the impression that the state is in control of the situation. During two intense shifts of a three-member police patrol, the director shows what goes on there and who or what one can encounter. It's not a routine crime story but a genre film that significantly transcends into social drama. The carousel of boredom, poverty, and cultural and national unanchoredness creates a highly explosive Molotov cocktail that burns anyone who gets in its way. Overall impression: 90%.
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