Outside the Law [Blu-ray] [Import]

Writer Director Rachid Bouchareb's first view of the Algerian involvement in France's participation in World War II as the extraordinary DAYS OF GLORY from 2006. Now he continues his story of the bravery of the Algerians in OUTSIDE THE LAW (HORS-LA-LOI) using many of the same actors but placed in different roles. This is a fast-paced film that covers a lot of territory and time and gives an insider's view of how the Algerian soldiers and the Algerian people struggled post WW II to gain freedom from French colonization. On many levels the films works well: on the level of character development and audience empathy it stumbles - but doesn't fall.

The film opens in 1925 when a family in Algeria faces the French representative who informs a family that the government is taking their ancestral land and home: Le père (Ahmed Benaissa), La mère (Chafia Boudraa) and their three sons Saïd, Messaoud and Abdelkader. Understandably devastated they pack their scant belongings and leave. Jump to 1945 and the massacre of Setif, an event that forces the family to disperse: La mère with Saïd (Jamel Debbouze) move to a shantytown for Algerian refugees outside Paris and Saïd becomes involved with organized crime in Pigalle to support his mother (he begins as a pimp, then as a Cabaret owner, and moves into more dangerous activities such as fixed boxing matches, etc). Messaoud (Roschdy Zem) has become a soldier with the French army in the fruitless war in Indochina (Vietnam) and observes as the French retreat that external colonization of a country will always fail because of the inherent patriotism of the indigent people. Abdelkader (Sami Bouajila), because of this participation in the resistance during the Setif Massacre, has been imprisoned in France where he gains insight from his fellow Algerians that they must revolt and fight to regain independence for Algeria. Once reunited Abdelkadan becomes the driving force behind the Algerian's FLN movement. He is the local figurehead and brains, while his brother Messaoud acts as the muscle and bodyguard. Brother Said continues his pursuit of money through shady night clubs and as a boxing promoter, but he is never far from his brothers' sides - even if he isn't quite as politically motivated. The film jumps to the 1950s and the early 1960s following the development of the Algerian resistance as it becomes a murderous group, assassinating the French officials and police, engaging in fierce gun battles, all the while under the malicious eye of their nemesis Colonel Faivre (Bernard Blancan). As deaths in the family occur the family dwindles but always with the promise to each other that Algeria will gain its independence, a fact the is revealed through historic film footage from 1962.

The film is a tense reenactment of battles and crime scenes, but there is a problem with the script in detailing the personalities of each of the characters beyond their devotion to Algerian independence. Even a marriage and the birth of a son and the death of the mother fail to substantially affect the three brothers beyond the expected reactions. The actors are all excellent but without the benefit of a script that allows them to offer us unique and meaningful individuals they become tropes. As a viewer remembering the brilliance of Days of Glory this film is strangely uninvolving. There is a sense that Rachid Bouchareb feared condemnation by either the Algerians or the French. Much can be said in favor of that stance: no one is 'right' or 'wrong' in war. But at movie's end we are left oddly outside the emotional aspect of the film that was the key to the success of Days of Glory. In the end this is a very well made and powerful film that answers many questions about the French Algerian conflict few of us understand. Grady Harp, July 11

This is another offering from French film maker Rachid Bochareb and it is the sequel to the acclaimed `Days of Glory' and indeed stars the same actors. Most notably is Jamel Debbouze as `Said as the youngest brother in the family'. The first part dealt with the African colonial forces that helped France rid herself of Nazi occupation. This takes it a stage further to when those same soldiers fight against France for the self determination of Algeria.

The film is predominantly in French with a fair smattering of Arabic and some pretty good sub titles. It starts in 1925 with the family being thrown off their ancestral land by the French and then takes us on a tour of the many low points for France heading toward the painful birth of Algeria. We even have the massive defeat of the French by the Vietnamese at Dien Bien Phu thrown in. This is not a war movie, even though there is plenty of action, and I have to say it gets the thumbs up for attention to period detail. There are depictions of the massacres that took place in both Algeria and Paris too and the only punches pulled are those in the boxing ring that Said sets up as one of his nefarious money making deals.

It deals with the inter political rivalry of the FLN and the MNA, the two leading and conflicting Algerian parties are shown in their brutal reality. It has a noir feel about it in places and shows the crushing poverty that drives people to do extraordinary things. It is well acted, well directed and beautifully shot. It has been criticised for being anti French, but it is really anti colonial and some might see this as a post revisionist guilt trip, but I think it is a slice of awkward history from Frances' recent past.

The depiction of the para military death squads, extra judicial, executions as well as legitimate ones, show a willingness to really explore the story in all its' facets. A third instalment is planned, but as this did not do as well as `days of Glory' it may be a bit of a wait. Either way you do not need to have seen the first film to get this. I thought it was ruddy good and kept me guessing right up to the end and held my interest through out, I can only recommend

A surprise nominee for Best Foreign Film at the 2010 Academy Awards, the Algerian film "Outside the Law" is an accomplished film with an epic sweep. Documenting the long struggle for Algerian independence from French rule, the film covers much historical territory that had yet to be presented in a fictional narrative format. I suppose this is primarily why the film has caused such a stir--including local protestations when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. There is no denying that Algeria suffered at the hands of France, the film makes this point well. But the film tries to humanize the story by focusing on one family (specifically three brothers) who lived through the tumultuous time. While the scope and intentions of the film are on target, the individual story is a tad expected and surprisingly aloof. From a technical perspective, the film looks terrific--but the characters never felt fully realized so much of the film's emotional impact was sadly muted.

Much of the disconnect comes from the narrative structure as time advances abruptly through the decades. Just as you get close to dramatic consequence, the film fast forwards to the next sequence months or even years into the future. At the heart of the story are three brothers--initially a soldier, an activist, and a hustler. The movie starts in their boyhood as their homeland is ripped away from them, but the film soon advances decades to the military occupation and massacre within the city they now reside in. With one brother imprisoned in France, one fighting in Indochina, and one scrambling to get his mother to safety after an act of retribution--events realign themselves for the remaining narrative to occur on French soil. Here, everyone reunites in a working class ghetto. With two of the brothers falling into political terrorism and the other into the criminal underworld, there are plenty of action set pieces that are well executed and exciting. However, the characters are never particularly developed beyond their particular political stance.

So despite all of its great elements, I simply never got emotionally involved with the story. Inevitably, a huge section of the film plays out like a gangster melodrama. It's exciting, with a couple of spectacular gun battles, but without fully realized, three dimensional characters--there was only so much concern I could muster. The film should have been a devastating emotional experience, instead it was a handsome production. I liked "Outside The Law" and Rachid Bouchareb is a talented filmmaker (coincidentally, he used the same three actors playing the same three brothers for the 2006 Oscar nominated Days of Glory). If you are interested in historical action pictures, there is much to recommend this one. I just never connected in the way I wanted to--but it's still worth a look. KGHarris, 7/11.