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L'Esquive
2003 Romance / Drama
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Credits
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Director: Abdel Kechiche
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Script: Abdel Kechiche, Ghalia Lacroix
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Photo: Lubomir Bakchev
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Cast: Osman Elkharraz (Krimo),
Sara Forestier (Lydia),
Sabrina Ouazani (Frida),
Nanou Benhamou (Nanou),
Hafet Ben-Ahmed (Fathi),
Aurélie Ganito (Magalie),
Carole Franck (French Professor),
Hajar Hamlili (Zina),
Rachid Hami (Rachid),
Meryem Serbah (Krimo's Mother),
Hanane Mazouz (Hanane),
Sylvain Phan (Slam),
Olivier Loustau (Policier),
Rosalie Symon (Policier),
Patrick Kodjo Topou (Policier),
Lucien Tipaldi (Policier),
Reinaldo Wong (Le couturier),
Nu Du (Couturière)
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Country: France
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Language: French
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Runtime: 117 min
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Summary
On a rundown housing estate on the outskirts of Paris, Krimo, a teenage boy of North African
descent, lives with his mother in a cramped apartment. Shortly after he is
dumped by his girlfriend, Krimo notices another girl, Lydia. Although he is instantly
attracted to her, Krimo is too shy to show his feelings for her. It so happens
that Lydia is playing a part in a school production of a Marivaux play. In order
to get to know her, he bribes another boy to let him take his place in the play...
Review
L’Esquive is director Abdel Kechiche’s follow
up to his impressive debut film
La Faute à Voltaire (2000).
The film won widespread critical acclaim when it was released in France in 2004, winning
many awards including no fewer than four Césars in 2005 (including the Best Film
and Best Director awards). The film’s distinctive naturalistic style and captivating
performances from a non-professional cast have earned it favourable reviews across the
world. It is not, however, a particularly accessible film - it is thin on plot and
the dialogue, a mix of teenage street slang and verlan (backslang), is hard to follow.
The film’s main deficiency, however, is the implausibility of one of its key plot ingredients
- ordinary street kids on a housing estate taking a serious interest in 18th century drama.
Although the critics seemed willing to overlook this flaw, it does seriously undermine
the film’s realism and obscures some of its underlying social themes.
© James Travers 2007
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