14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brutality against women. And then revenge! Great film!, March 31, 2004
This 2001 award winning French film is offbeat and exhilarating. A middle-class Parisian couple, driving through the streets to a dinner party suddenly encounters a young prostitute being assaulted by three men. The young woman is bloodied and frightened and she runs to their car in a fit of terror. She gets no help from the couple, however, as the husband locks the door and is annoyed that his windshield is bloodied. The wife watches in horror as the young prostitute is further beaten.
The wife, Helene, played by Catherine Frot, is appalled at her insensitive husband and, the next day goes to the hospital to see if the young woman is still alive. She finds her alive, but barely - in a coma and paralyzed. She's so moved that she takes a leave from work and spends all her time in the hospital, tending the recovering woman through a long and arduous recovery. Rachinda Brakni, cast as Noemie, the prostitute, is a fine actress and absolutely captivating with her huge dark eyes and mop of curly hair. She invokes our sympathy completely, especially after the wicked pimps come to the hospital and try to kidnap her.
In the meantime there is trouble in Helene's household which plays out like a satirical comedy, as her husband and son seem to embody the very worst attributes of men. Helene is devoted to Noemie, however, and Noemie eventually recovers completely and shares her incredible story through flashbacks. During the next half of the film, the women plot revenge and eventually the bad guys get caught, the husband and son get their comeuppance and the ending is happy and satisfying.
The film is a fast paced and well-scripted view of the role of women. There's lots of brutality and bloodshed as well as a satirical look at our society. And even though the plot is extremely contrived, it was done so well that I was totally enraptured by it all. There's great storytelling, acting and directing and it doesn't drag for one minute. I absolutely loved it. Highly recommended.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Divine Revenge, May 5, 2004
By A Customer
This is a captivating thriller and social comedy masterfully guided by Coline Surreau (Three Men and A Cradle). The plot is well enough told above, but I take issue with one review who acted as though the idea of Muslim men selling their second-generation French daughters to Muslim men in Algeria is racist. France is now consumed with the problems of its large Muslim population which has been festering in government housing outside of Paris since they withdrew from Algeria. There are plenty of young French-Algerian women who are over-protected by their chauvinistic brothers and dicatorial fathers. Muslim parents here arrrange their daughter's marriages, and it is no laughing matter. Overnight a woman can literally be a slave to her arranged husband. If she refuses, her family can beat her, and in some cases a rebellious young Muslim woman can lose her life. This is very serious religious chauvinism. If you don't believe that it can't happen, read the April 2004 issue of Vanity Fair where Marie Brenner's article--"Unveiling France's Muslim Problem" lays out the current situation in frightening detail.
This is hardly the first movie about female empowerment, and you're never dis-engaged. The men are fools and idiots here, and all deserve their various moments and levels of comeuppance. But sit back and enjoy a well-plotted movie that will leave you breathless and admiring of the talent it took to create it. An expert cast, a superb director make this one of the most engaging films I've seen this year.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The truth hurts., March 22, 2004
The title is apt. What a rollercoaster ride! As for the male characters being stereotypical...I, an Italian-American, could relate. I found myself pumping my fist in the air when the Algerian girl finally gave her brother what he deserved.
I hardly feel sorry for the male reviewers here who complain about the stereotypes. We women are constantly stereotyped in the movies. Wouldn't it be novel if some men stood up for women once in a while?
As for reality, if you read the papers, you'd know that the events in this movie are not an anomaly. It's everyday life for many women--and little girls.
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