Viva Laldjérie

First I lived in Algeria as a child from 63-66. I was very curious about this movie and how things had changed. I am also a pretty good judge of how authentic it is.

The story revolves around Goucem a 27 year old single woman and her mother. Key to the plot is a prostitute Fifi, they all live in Pension Debussy a hotel in downtown Algiers. (We lived in a hotel not a block away in 1963.) Goucem is involved in a no win relationship with an older married man--her mother lives in her past when she was a dancer and the prostitute--well--turns tricks.

The point of the movie is to show what contemporary life is like on the ground in Algiers with emphasis on women. Islamic fundamentalism is background thunder.

First, I was surprised that French would still be so widely used--one would have thought Arabic after 50 years of independence would have largely displaced it. Algiers looks weatherbeaten and somewhat run down---everything from the phones to the buildings look like they have not been modernized much if at all since 1962. They show the wear and their age. Still I much prefer the old buildings to modern stuff. There appears to be population pressure--lots of traffic and people everywhere. Algeria's economy despite its oil money it has not prospered as it could have--also the schism between the Islamists and the secular populations was devastating amounting to a civil war. There is reference in the movie of things like the water being on only every 3 days--life is poor and rather difficult for most. And with religious orthodoxy flexing its muscles things are getting more restrictive.

I think the movie probably exaggerates the current Frenchness of the population.--playing boules? wearing mink coats? Of course the native Algerians have assumed the middle class roles formerly held by Europeans and along with that the mink coats still....

The movie was very nostalgic for me and I gave it an 8. However it drags the last hour...especially the endless scenes with the mother. It is worth a watch for anyone although probably a 6 is about the right rating.

RECOMMEND

I was curious about this film, as it's about several women in modern day Algeria. Unfortunately, the story itself never caught my interest--mostly because the film felt more like a dispassionate film made by a documentarian instead of a full-length story about people. The bottom line is that I didn't care about these people nor their seedy lives.

The film is about three women: Goucem, a very screwed up young lady who's been having an affair with a married man for three years, Papicha (Goucem's mother) who is an ex-prostitute and Fif who is currently a prostitute. Their problems and concerns never really registered with me.

What I found interesting about the film was actually not the story (I didn't like it at all) but the views into modern Algeria. Though a Muslim nation, I was surprised at the nudity (it was graphic) and the very secular nature of the characters and situations. It flies in the face of stereotypes of Muslim nations--giving us a fuller view of the various facets of life and attitudes. But this, unfortunately, was not enough. The story left me amazingly cold and bored.

This is the type of film that I would love to love. The cast are remarkable - Lubna Azabal and the actress that plays her mother in particular. The subject is a complete reversal of what one would expect of Algeria. It's also a film with very strong female roles. So in theory, everything is in place to make an explosive combination.

So why does it drag so much? "Viva" is curiously dispassionate, despite the best efforts of the cast. Longish midrange shots film the actor's movements, without letting us get into their heads. We understand what they are doing and why, without really becoming involved.

With a firmer hand, this could have been an explosive story, à la Almodovar. As it is, I get the feeling it's a great script and cast being put through the motions.

I also have to add a word about the highly distracting plinkety-plonk piano music that adds to the lethargic direction. I presume the director wanted to avoid Arabic music to avoid clichés. But puh-lease! This sounds like a low-budget auteur chamber soundtrack when what was needed was something to drive us towards the next scene.

The shifting of political power affects our lives more than anything else in the world. And being trapped between two ruthless forces and the shifting political powers makes it almost unbearable for characters of this touching movie. Being a women in Islamic world was always, to put it mildly, hard, but these days of increasing Islamic fundamentalism bring even more hardship. Algerian women must have it particularly hard after a long period of secularism and opportunities for carrier and fulfillment. " Viva Laldjerie" is a brave and concise movie that poses many questions. It doesn't give many answers, mostly because in the shaky times we live in, the outcome is unknown.

I just watched "Viva Laldjerie" at the Cine-Club in Algiers. The crisis of the 1990s took a heavy toll on Algerian cinema. Happily, the past couple of years have witnessed a re-emergence, of which Viva Laldjerie is an auspicious example. Set in the Algiers of today, the film tells the story of three women: Papicha, a former cabaret star who dreams of getting back into the business; her daughter, Goucem, an independent spirit working for a photographer and carrying on an affair with a married man she's beginning to suspect wants to leave her; and Fifi, a prostitute who thinks she's got it all under control now that she's found a powerful "protector." Director Moknèche's great achievement is to show how beyond the bright lights, bustling city streets and modern urban architecture there's the sense of a country, of a people, that feels spent and exhausted from the constant threat that the violence that crippled Algeria for almost a decade might once again return. Yet, as the stories of these three women show, resistance can take many forms. In response to previous comments, I am surprise of the level of ignorance of the Arab World. you can watch many different movies in Algeria. I have watched "Emmanual" in Oran The RAI music contains swearing and even blasphemous and you can hear it in chafes, bars etc..Just for your information Algeria is the first wine producer in the world after the Romans, it will help if you know a bit about the Arab culture, for example read about Abu Nawas and Al-Rubaiyat