Exils

A spiritual journey for the characters and audience alike. I saw this film at a film festival not knowing what to expect. There is not much plot or drama and for viewers seeking those they might be disappointed. What this film does have though is spirit and at intoxicating levels too. The cinematography combined with the music and the journey of the characters combine to put the receptive audience in a kind of trance. An especially memorable scene is a 15 - 20 minute long scene in which the female heroine is exorcised Algerian style, building slowly to a trance. The whole scene is filmed as one shot and the camera is more of a participant than an observer. An experience not to be missed.

...just commenting on the bit where you mention porno flicks - I didn't have the same take on the situation in this regard. My impression is NOT that they were actual porn actors, but that Zano is basically accusing Naima of being a bit of a slut and to insult her he says "where did you learn to f^&* anyway?" to which she replies, "I learned from porn films like you!". The story alludes to the fact that Naima has had a bit of a rough life so far and this may be why she has issues with intimacy leading to promiscuity. Also, the story also hints that Zano and Naima haven't known each that long before they decide to go on this road trip-hence some of the conversations the couple have to find out more.

Exils (2004) (Exiles) was written, produced, and directed by Tony Gatlif. I saw this film at the 2005 Cinefranco Film Festival in Toronto. (www.cinefranco.com)

This movie is a odyssey of sorts. Both Zano, played by Romain Duris, and Naima (Lubna Azabal) live in France, but have ties that draw them back to Algeria. The film follows their slow but determined trip southward.

Since they are traveling without funds--or even a map--they naturally need help from others along the way. These interactions with the people they meet on the road are fascinating. The two characters are not exactly role models for today's youth, but you have to admire their tenacity and their unwillingness to turn back.

Not a masterpiece, but an interesting movie that's worth seeking out.

Beautifully-filmed road movie with long musical sequences. The tale of two losers that hit the road to reach Algeria from Paris is peppered with vibrant musical interludes that echo their journey back to their roots, from nose-bleed techno, through passionate flamenco to raw Algerian trance. Once they get there, Gatlif loses his hand a little by not concluding the story. Naima is portrayed as a loose cannon throughout the movie, with hints to her past and a huge question mark over her future. Neither of these is I think is answered conclusively. On a sidenote, is this not one of the most explosive women on screen since "Betty Blue"?

But a pretty entertaining tale very well played by the two lead actors, Lubna Azabal and Romain Duris.

This movie is a bit weird, but it's a nice multicultural experience though. It's about a man and a woman which are French but have Algerian routs that go on a journey (on a walk trip!) to find out these routs in Alger. They cross the south of Spain and meet many people, from Arabs to Gypsy. This film is very interesting from the cultural point of view, but is a bit weird sometimes, because we don't know anything about these characters, who are they, where they came from. Just during the trip we start finding out something about them, but even so many questions still open after the movie ends. It's an artsy movie, that's for sure, with a great cultural and musical impact, but it gets a bit strange and boring at parts. The plot could have been better, but I'll score it 7/10 because of the great soundtrack (which has Flamenco, Arab and Electro/Techno music), the very weird tribal-ritual scene (near the end), and also the artsy cinematography.