Begian filmmaker Vincent Lanno's "J'adore le Cinéma" has all the virtues of a successful short. Simple, concise and dense, this cruel tale tells more in fifteen minutes than a lot of overblown would-be never-ending "masterpieces".
A single setting (a high school gym), a fragile hero who has to fight in the face of adversity (George who tries against all odds to shoot his film without making concessions), a group of students representative of today's multiracial society both epitomizing the difficulties inherent in culture shock and allowing tension to rise, a controversial subject to be filmed (the love of two girls, one Arab the other Belgian) that enables the writer/director to examine the burning issue of freedom of expression in so-said democratic Western societies. All this combined with a touch of humor (the ironical beginning and end trailers) make viewing this film a worthwhile experience.
Shot in a documentary-like style, "J'adore le cinéma" rings true. The actors, whether they are professional (Lubna Azabal in her first role on the screen, Raphaëlle Bruneau, Denis Carpentier) or amateur, are as natural as if the scenes they are in had been filmed without their being aware of it. It is a pleasure on the other hand to see Olivier Gourmet appear as the headmaster of the high school. Deceptively playful, cracking unfunny jokes, he is THE figure of authority, forcing his choices on others, asking questions but never listening to the answers, light years away from the passionate, open-minded, creative George. Olivier Gourmet at his best as usual!
