ShangLuda Admirable film.

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

Rexanne It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

aFrenchparadox See my review of "Ve'lakhta lehe isha". Leaves you more or less with the same feeling at the end of both: I couldn't stand to live in such a communautarian culture/group, where I would really feel like my personal freedom is hindered. Two more things particular to this movie: because it's about teenagers playing a Marivaux's play, I would say that at least a third of the film is fulfilled by this play's dialogues, and therefore benefits from his rhythm. Not sure how well it translates to English and other languages though. Secondly, I don't like the end, where finally the police presence spoils all the good that had been built until then; I know it's quite true that the police in this type of poor French neighbourhoods is a watchdog as powerful as the community (though driven by different goals/intentions), but I guess I would have liked a bit of optimism for once.

sossalemaire This movie's a disaster. Yes, it shows french suburbs the way they are. But that's the only good thing you can say about it ; frankly, how can you be interested in seeing almost 2 hours of stupid suburban kids yelling at each other, insulting each other all the time ? French critics are ecstatic, this movie has won 4 cesars (french equivalent for the Oscars), but it's just a dull vision of dull people. I've seen enough of that verbal and physical violence myself to get any pleasure from this deeply boring movie.I've read critics saying it was a refreshing vision about french suburbs. I guess they think it's refreshing because you don't see drugs or guns, and it is "in" to say that these kids have some sort of raw inner strength only waiting to be applied to something good. Yeah, think again, they're really that violent at each other, but they don't study Marivaux in real life...Watch it at your own risks.

Omar Mouallem L'Esquive is the coming (and going) of age story about Krimo, a resilient, emotionless, passive teenage boy living in a French ghetto. He is surrounded by his macho violent homeys, confused girlfriend, conniving teenage girls and a beautiful actress named Lydia, played by what may be the Olson Twin's long-lost triplet.It plays out like the French "Kids", without the poignancy. It's tedious. In fact, it gives new meaning to tedious. These shrill teenagers are constantly at each others throats. The few moments of calmness were not enough to hold people in there seats at the Vancouver Film Festival. After 40 minutes of hormonal bickering, the theater was half full.There is not enough story or character to keep this going. In needs to be taken back to the editing room and trimmed of down 40 of its 120 minutes. No doubt this would leave you with a short tale, but it's as long as this thin story needs to be told. Many scenes are used to explain what we've just scene. One-topic dialogue runs for as long as 10 minutes, in pointless circles until an opening is made for another superfluous scene.However I will say that the drama is very realistic and plays out in a natural ways that is commendable. But for story and entertainment's sake, things need to be cut, sharpened, explained and unexplained.As the end neared, I could feel my ears trembling, knowing that whatever the climax was, it would be ten times more shrill and irritating as the rest of the script. But I was wrong. Not only was it quieter and tolerable. It was void of a climax, at all. Not only is there no character change, but there seemed to be an adamant effort to avoid this natural convention at all odds. Even of it could have saved the movie.There are short moments of charm, wit, humor and a minuscule amount of beauty. However, L'Esquive is nothing you can't find at your local Blockbuster.

okurs Although imperfect from a cinematographic point of view, this film is remarkable as it penetrates deep into the lives of suburbia kids in Paris.All kids are from North Africa. They are boeur, which means arab in their bizarre dialect of french. I really doubt an old french man or woman understand what they are saying without subtitles. To love someone, to leave someone make deep marks in our souls when we are young. This sincere and honest film about teenage love should not be missed, if there is any screening available.