Graine et le mulet, La (2007)

Regista:

Abdel Kechiche

Sceneggiatore:

Abdel Kechiche (writer)

Data di uscita:

12 dicembre 2007 (Belgium)

Genere:

Drama

Slogan:

The Best French Film of the Year

Plot:

At the port of Sète Mr. Slimani, a tired sixty year old, drags himself towards a shipyard job which...

Premi:

16 wins & 2 nominations

Recensioni degli utenti:

An extraordinarily different film because of its ethnicity and real-time filming

Cast

Habib Boufares	...	Slimane Beiji
Hafsia Herzi	...	Rym
Farida Benkhetache	...	Karima
Abdelhamid Aktouche	...	Hamid
Bouraouïa Marzouk	...	Souad
Alice Houri	...	Julia
Leila D'Issernio	...	Lilia
Abelkader Djeloulli	...	Kader
Olivier Loustau	...	José
Sabrina Ouazani	...	Olfa
Mohamed Benabdeslem	...	Riadh
Bruno Lochet	...	Mario
Cyril Favre	...	Serguei
Sami Zitouni	...	Majid
Mohamed Karaoui	...	Lafita

Alias:

Couscous (International: English title)
The Secret of the Grain (Australia)
Cous Cous (Italy) [it]

Durata:

France:151 min

Nazionalità:

France

Lingua:

Francese

Colore:

Colore

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sonoro:

DTS

Divieti:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | France:U | Brazil:14 | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M

Luoghi delle riprese:

Chantier naval, Sète, Hérault, France

Company:

Pathé Renn Productions

Curiosità:

Filming was supposed to start in summer of 2005 but one of the leading actors was ill, resulting in a major delay. Thus, filming actually started on 5 September 2005 and was still running by 16 January 2006. The set was on a boat in the port of Sète for a least 6 weeks from October to December, 2006. Outside temperatures were very low, as opposed to what they should have been if schedule could have been held. This led the production to set up large tents near the set (boat) with heating systems for the actors and extras to remain comfortable between takes.

An extraordinarily different film because of its ethnicity and real-time filming

Diane and I attended this wonderful film in Fremantle this morning and both of us left the theater at its conclusion realising that we had seen an unusual film from an unusual ethnic angle and that the director and actors had completed a superb work.

I adore our Australian films because many of them explore the mundane drama of quiet ordinary life and this film is no exception even though it is French rather than Australian. I guess Hollywood does not believe viewers are sensitive enough to pay to see domestic drama and that the subject matter must always be "bigger than Ben Hurr" but our movies as well as many European movies have proved that the examination of quiet aspects of everyday life can provide extremely compelling material for contemporary films.

IMDb commentators found it off-putting to watch long film sequences about potty training, marital squabbles and restaurant scenes; however, this is the stuff of myriad similar domestic situations that we are all familiar with. The genius being that the director can make these scenes rich enough to watch. Diane and I both believe he did this admirably as well as providing much to discuss and reflect upon later.

We both found it different and endearing that we were allowed into the lives of people and their situations that would be closed to us without this delightful film. Yes, I used the adjective "delightful"; the scenes of domesticity were enlightening and compellingly endearing because we are inundated with Western examples of the genre but few (such as in this film) of other ethnic examples.

A film that should not be missed!