French Fest

After I watched Amelie I was convinced that french films rock. Not only is the style of directing contemporary but also, the actors are very charismatic. Plus, the movie is about a 23 year old shy girl in pursuit of love. But what impressed me the most is how a simple plot like this can develop into a fast-paced, fun and inspiring show. Hence, this single love affair with french movies led me and my cousin to L'esquive that is shown during this year french film festival. It's about a muslim boy in the suburbs of Paris and how he deals with the problems that adolescents normally face. Maybe the director focused too much on the protagonist's daily problems or the reality of life, this social drama looked more like a documentary to me. Boring and flat. There's neither the typical french fanfare nor charming foreign accents. For instance, bulk of the show is made up of teenagers shouting at one another in crude vulgaries.
However, as my infatuation seldom ends early, I bought a couple of french movies that seem quite acclaimed. And fortunately it turned out that Les Choristes is a really good one. It is also about a group of young troubled boys and how music has helped to tame their souls and lift up their spirits. The songs they sang were extremely superb. The next movie, emporte-moi also started off with a confused 15 year old girl who likes to live in a movie. The show is not as touching but it brought alive the consequences of neglecting the people you love and of being forced under desperate situations.
It seems that the themes that I have highlighted in these movies are not unusual and country specific at all. Therefore, an exposure to french films makes me learn that even though we speak different languages and have different working lifestyles, we will all be able to feel the same as long as we are breathing in the same air.