I know everyone liked this film, but probably none have been around Arrondissements like 18. This is not Mean Streets but a couple of lame dudes who would have been beaten with bats had they lived in Brooklyn or Bronx. The movie is a great example of why we need Arrondissements like 18, to keep these hooligans penned up. It does not even come close to Battle for Algiers in terms of cinema verite realism. There are much better French films than this pretentious attempt.
Sure lighting and black/white photography was great, direction great, actors superb but there was no really original story or insight. The handling of the three main actors was really very, very well done: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Kounde, Said Taghmaui - talk about three amigos. But script seemed very flat... as they just bum around from one scene to the next being stupid with little or no insight.
No real insight into their lives, families, other friends, environment. They are simply pugs with no original thoughts other than, "I got to get out of here". ! Brilliant. They sure knew how to navigate the art opening.
Film Formula: take some skin heads, bad cops, some pugs, the projects as background: stir, walla ! a movie. But if no one has been near the real deal and only read about it..oh, my gosh honey...look at their conditions! "And such one dimensional characters. See what the projects create"
No insight whatsoever except standard clichés which to white people are 'oh so enlightening". Really. Do you talk about this 'insightful' movie at wine and cheese art openings. Somehow the film represents 24 hrs in their lives. It feels more like 72 hours.
Go see Banksy instead. You will be well rewarded.
Sure lighting and black/white photography was great, direction great, actors superb but there was no really original story or insight. The handling of the three main actors was really very, very well done: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Kounde, Said Taghmaui - talk about three amigos. But script seemed very flat... as they just bum around from one scene to the next being stupid with little or no insight.
No real insight into their lives, families, other friends, environment. They are simply pugs with no original thoughts other than, "I got to get out of here". ! Brilliant. They sure knew how to navigate the art opening.
Film Formula: take some skin heads, bad cops, some pugs, the projects as background: stir, walla ! a movie. But if no one has been near the real deal and only read about it..oh, my gosh honey...look at their conditions! "And such one dimensional characters. See what the projects create"
No insight whatsoever except standard clichés which to white people are 'oh so enlightening". Really. Do you talk about this 'insightful' movie at wine and cheese art openings. Somehow the film represents 24 hrs in their lives. It feels more like 72 hours.
Go see Banksy instead. You will be well rewarded.