Summary
Four adolescent young men from a rough Parisian housing estate win first prize in an amateur
film-making competition, the prize being a dream holiday in the seaside down of Biarritz.
They set out for their holiday with high hopes but within a few days they are out of money
and have nothing much to do. They are determined to pick up some female company...
Review
This first full-length film from 22-year old French film director Djamal Bensalah is a
stylish and exuberant teen comedy which was, despite its modest budget, a box office hit
in France. Although the film has notable weaknesses (a rambling plot, repetitive
situations, unconvincing references to racial prejudice, etc.) it has many ingredients
which suggest that Bensalah may become a significant figure in French cinema in the next
decade.
The place where this is most evident is in the film’s photography and editing, with an
unsettling but strangely appropriate use of low resolution home-video sequences inter-cut
into the more conventionally shot film. Probably the film’s best sequence is where
one of the boys, a fan of classic cinema, goes to chat up a girl. What could have
been a mundane scene becomes a rare moment of brilliance, ridiculous and touching at the
same time, transporting us back to 1940s Hollywood.
Likewise, the film’s soundtrack flips between romantic classical music and trendy hip-hop
music. This gives the impression of a ragged, unpolished film which reflects the
precarious lives of the film’s central characters very well without distracting too greatly
from the film’s content.
The dialogue is fast, witty and occasionally intelligent, giving the audience some food
for thought. Unfortunately, the film relies heavily on its dialogue and references
to French culture, making it far less attractive to a non-French speaking audience.
Another reason for the film’s success in France is the appearance of Jamel Debbouze as
one of the lead actors. Though barely known outside France, Debbouze is currently
one of the most popular and well-known comedians in France, with regular appearances on
French television. most famously on Canal+’s satirical show, Nulle part ailleurs.
© James Travers 2002
|
