A still from Les Misérables, showing at Whanganui Film Society.
A still from Les Misérables, showing at Whanganui Film Society.
Whanganui Film Society is screening a French film, Les Misérables, not to be confused with the book, film and musical of the same name.
REVIEW "About as far from being a rousing stage musical as is possible, Les Misérables' exhilarating, engrossing portrait of war on the streets between a swaggering Anti-CrimeSquad and the myriad gangs they are trying to police shared the Jury Prize at Cannes.
"In sharp contrast to the opening scenes of a unified France celebrating its 2018 World Cup win on the Champs-Élysées, the film takes place in a troubled Paris suburb over the course of a tightly-wrought couple of days, recalling Training Day with its portrayal of compromised cops, the crossing of ethical lines and the conscience of a newcomer.
"But director Ladj Ly's rendition of the drug- and poverty-stricken banlieues of working-class France is less Hollywood and more naturalistic à la The Wire, with astonishing performances by everyone from his three lead thugs to the indignant crooks, beleaguered immigrant families and children caught in the crossfire.
"Ly's 15-year career in documentary, focusing on sociopolitical issues arising from events such as the 2005 Paris riots, clearly informs his approach to this fictional, but all-too-relevant, tale.
"Les Misérables is his first dramatic feature, but his realist fingerprints are all over it, notably in a key plot point which remarkably derives from autobiographical experience.
"Complex in its morality, lacking judgment of its characters, Les Misérables is a high-energy, contemporary musing on the problems explored by Victor Hugo over 150 years ago." – Sarah Watt, NZIFF 2019
Les Misérables Ladj Ly • France • 2019 • 104 mins • HD • R13 violence, offensive language & sexual references In French with English subtitles
The Details What: Les Miserables When: Monday, May 9 at 7pm. Where: Davis Theatre, Whanganui Regional Museum, Watt St. Tickets: Members only. Membership can be purchased at the door starting from a 3-film sampler for $30, or go to www.nzfilmsociety.org.nz/whanganui.html for other membership options. Please note that wearing a face mask is compulsory.
