Customer Reviews

Exiles

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Two second generation, twenty-something Algerian immigrants living together in Paris decide they want to return to their roots and spontaneously go on a journey to Algeria. The pair has only vague memories of Algeria, most of what they know has been told to them by their parents and family. They have little money, so they must walk and work their way into and through Spain, then hop a boat across the Mediterranean Sea. Along the way they encounter a wide range of migrant people living in Europe. They fall in with gypsies for a while, they also encounter illegal Algerian and Moroccan immigrants who are working their way north to Paris. For much of this film, the wanderers are heading in the opposite direction as everyone else. After a few mis-adventures, they finally get to Morocco, take a bus to the Algerian border, and with some help illegally cross into Algeria. Once there, they find that life in Algeria isn't quite what they had envisioned. For all of their attachment, they really are strangers to this land. They do find however, that there is much to learn and much to value in Algeria, even if it is quite different than Paris.

There is a lot to like about this film. The main themes of this film are identity and culture clash. The immigrants identify with a culture that they barely recognize, but after some difficult adjustments they realize that there is much to be proud of. As mentioned in the other reviews, there is lots of great Magrebian music played on traditional instruments played through out the movie. Very nice performances by Lubna Azabal and (particularly well acted) Romain Duris. This film provides an interesting window into the life and culture of illegal immigrants from North Africa in Europe, as well as some insights into modern Algeria. In my opinion, there are some similarities in theme between this film and the early 70s film Walkabout with Jenny Agutter. In any case, this is a good story about voyage of exploration and self-identity, definitely worth a look, if not uniquely outstanding.

This road movie follows a pair of Parisian bohemians that travels to Algeria, by way of Southern Spain, where they both have family ties (his French and hers Arab). The film is propelled by a pulsating soundtrack featuring Middle Eastern and Spanish gypsy rhythms that is sometimes pretentious (especially during the opening song) but always catchy and interesting. The plotlines is incredulous at times and the shots are also too obviously intended to be symbolic and socially meaningful, at the expense of credibility, but Romain Duris and Lubna Azabal, as the couple searching for meaning and identity by travelling to Algiers, are two of the most interesting and watchable young stars working in French cinema today and make the cinematic road trip to Algeria worthwhile.

A young couple of Algerian descent lives in Paris. One day, on the whim they decide to go to Algeria, on foot. In the course of the film we learn that young man's parents were killed in a car accedent when he was a child. Young woman's father was married to a French woman and never thought his daughter to speak Algerian. Both of these young people are damaged. But there weaknesses make them perfect for each other. On their trip through Spain, they meet brother and sister from Algeria who are on their way to Paris to find work. To them it is incomprehensible why these two lovers speak no language of their ancestry and why they are going into a place both brother and sister are trying to escape from.

It is an interesting film about self-discovery, sexual awakening, national identity and spirituality strapped from religion. Differences in all its absurdity: language, the way we dress, interact with each other and treat each other.

Lots of music components, while watching the DVD, I feel touched by the music in the background. I am also touched by the plot which is two 'strangers' in France tried to journey back to Algeria to find their ancestors' root. A very god movie of Tony Gatlif. Exiles promises a definition for why people feel empty sometimes. Worth watching over and over again.

Despite high expectations, none of Gatlif's efforts have met or surpassed his hallmark film Latcho Drom. Exiles is particularly disappointing with its thin plot that links occasional emotional high spots and some interesting gypsy music sequences. The highlights are not enough to compensate for its lack of depth and texture.

an emotionally intense movie with a lot of deoth, incredible images of the emotions invoved in being an exile and of healing and self discovery. duris and lubia and the director were all wonderful.

Tony Gatlif thumps a shot of adrenaline into the tired arm of the road movie with this terrific music-heavy film about two Parisians of Algerian parentage who decide on a whim to hitch to their birthplace. Gatlif won the Best Director prize at Cannes for this. The male lead, Romain Duris, was in the director's earlier "Gadjo Dilo" - another fine film. The DVD transfer here is crisp and beautiful, from the always reliable folks at Home Vision.

I got this from the library because I've always liked films with the actor Romain Duris. But I'm disappointed that he made this movie. The cover synopsis mentioned a great soundtrack and beautiful scenery, and I would have to disagree with both counts (see Himalaya if you want beautiful scenery). The story was as aimless as the two characters, who I never connected with, especially the woman. There was nothing for me to like about her - it seemed like the film went out of its way to make her look a mess and her inner self was also a mess. The wandering culminates in a long, unpleasant, loud, annoying frenetic dance that went on FAR too long. I was relieved when that scene, and the entire movie, was over. I can't say enough how stupid I thought this was. Watch L'Auberge Espagnole, Les Poupees Russes, or other Romain Duris films, but skip this one.

Evocative road film of the spanish, moroccan and algerian countryside and algiers, of immigrants trying to sneak by border personnel, their makeshift camps, warm family ties in north africa -- Dir Tony Gatlif excels at introducing such themes, just as in his film Latcho Drom about the gypsy migration from northwestern india to spain. This film takes that journey on to algeria. Some of the highlights include the flamenco and algerian 'dervish' trance performances. The music is also a nice blenc of cutting edge electronica with traditional. Great acting too. The only negative was that the film dragged a little at first, appearing to focus too much time on frivolous escapades of Naima.