Killer Kid

"The Boy from Lebanon" (a much-needed retitling) is thought-provoking and intense depiction of a true story, a plot by Hezbollah to assassinate Francois Mitterand using a child. It's far and away the best film I've seen distributed by Picture This!, and it surpasses "Syriana" in showing how terrorists are created out of ordinary young people.

In this case, "young" means very young; Djilali is a scant eleven years old when he's sold--quite literally--into terrorism. This is a more than a consciousness-raiser about the plight of children in war-torn areas--it's a thoroughly convincing story of the power of friendship.

Djilali (Teufik Jallab) is emotionally shattered, detached, and empty. Even his hatred of "the Jews and the infidels" is something he holds out of duty instead of passion, and his cold-bloodedness makes him ideal for Hezollah's purpose.

To get close to the French president, though, he must not only go to France, but meet and prepare to take the place of Karim (Younesse Boudache), a Lebanese-French kid who will meet the president at a Christmas party. Karim is virtually Djilali's direct opposite, a Huckleberry Finn of the Arab slums that ring Paris, who hates no one and knows nothing of the plot.

Djilali must live with Karim for a few days, and the interaction between them is the heart of the film. Djilali at first regards Karim as frivolous, while Karim sees Djilali as hopelessly out-of-it. The next couple of days will shatter both of their worlds completely.

Sometimes it gets a bit confusing; shifts between Karim's French slum and Djilali's flashbacks are difficult to catch at first, and in my case I had to watch it a second time to understand everything. In addition, its low budget is evident throughout, and the adult actors are frequently dull and sometimes less-than-convincing.

But the film isn't about them. The main characters are memorable and extremely well-acted.

A spiritual teacher I know commented on the Virginia Tech massacre with the observation that Seung-Hui Cho had had no friends, and wondered would he have done what he did if he had. A similar question is brilliantly posed by "The Boy from Lebanon."

Watch it. You'll be glad you did.

KILLER KID is another in the series of French films from the TALE FROM THE ORPHANAGE series. The title of the film is unfortunate as is the graphic on the cover of the DVD: this is not a silly sci-fi comic book story, but instead is a serious, alarming, poignant, and timely true story of how in this age of Terrorism it is the children who make the 'best terrorists'.

The setting is Lebanon 1986 and Djilali (Teufik Jallab) is a young boy sold into the military by his uncle for $3000. and is placed in a military camp where he is indoctrinated, trained, taught to kill, to resist, and to hate infidels (Jews and Christians) because they are the enemies of the Arab Muslims (Djilali's father was killed by a Jew). The training camp is show in grim detail - six young boys trained to fight and prepare for 'missions' to assassinate the enemy. It is a competition for a particular mission in France and Djilali is finally chosen and sent to Paris where is to live with a 'family' setup that will prepare him for the final phase of the mission - to assassinate the President of France.

Once in Paris, Djilali is placed with a young Arab boy Karim (Younesse Boudache), a buoyant street kid who befriends his junkie girl friend Isabelle (Agathe de La Fontaine) and prefers skateboarding and rap music to affairs of political nature. Djilali is to observe Karim and learn the boy's every behavior. In the process the two boys gradually bond and the hardened Djilali softens to Karim's humanity and fun-loving outlook. The moment of truth comes when Djilali is informed that he is to pose as Karim in order to kill the President of France. The manner in which these two bonded boys resolve Djilali's dilemma calls forth a surprise that abruptly alters the tone of the story: the two boys are on their own against the adult world.

Director Gilles de Maistre has taken the story from a book by Claude Klotz as adapted by Miguel Courtois and has created a film that is at once intensely disturbing (the current use of children as suicide bombers in the war in Iraq makes this 1994 film eminently poignant today!) and ultimately satisfying in its ending. The two young actors are superb and the entire production aspects make this film riveting. By inserting a 'Prelude' and 'Epilogue' we discover that this story is based on fact, an aspect that makes it all the more disturbing. This is a film that should be required watching for all ages, all countries. In French and Arabic with English subtitles. Highly recommended. Grady Harp

It's the issue of the hour! Now ,more than ever,you have got to watch it!

Nothing is spared the audience:the Lebanese orphan boy sold by his uncle for a car ,the terrifying indoctrination,brainwashing,military training worthy of a marine man...And the hero is a child whose father was killed by the Jews .And they told him the Jews and the infidels (Christians) are evil and must be killed .Terrorism or the silent WW3 which has already begun.

A child remains a child whatever the adults subject him to.A short scene shows one of the "recruits" clutching his teddy bear.

A child builds his own world.Whereas Djilali plays a "real " game,Karim calls his soft toy "Christophe Lambert" and decorates his room with James Bond posters."When you are a child,Karim says,you can imagine all that you want".

THe woman suggests Djilali he watch a movie.She says she chooses at random,but the movie is René Clément's "Jeux interdits" ("Forbidden games",1952).And the first sequences show a bombing,during which the young heroine,Paulette, becomes an orphan.Brainwashing again.But it's a double-edged weapon,cause in that movie,Paulette has sworn eternal friendship with her new buddy Michel.That's what the two boys will do. They (and mainly Djilali) do not trust adults anymore,and they know that they are on their own.

Gilles de Maistre masterfully directed his two young actors.Their performances compare favorably with Truffaut's Comencini's and Yves Robert's works involving children.Their lines are sensitive,sometimes funny ,but above all insightful and clever.

The last lines of the movie claim it's a true story.This is par excellence the movie Hollywood could remake,but God preserve us!

"Killer Kid" -the title might be a misnomer and make people think it's a dumb action-packed movie -is one of the most important French movies of the nineties.It should be watched in all junior high schools of the planet.

I went in and out of feeling something for this movie as I watched it. It reminded me very much of a sensational movie from the 30s or something... it could have been a lot crueler and had more impact as a serious film but instead opts for unbelievable sentimentality, which works in its own fashion - quaint - and if it's based on a true story it's a very sort of "movie/TV" true story complete with epilogue to let us know that one of the subsidiary characters who well might have did indeed come to a bad end. was disappointed not to be able to find pictures of the young stars today even though they be workin' cause they'd be about 24 now and smokin hot!