Product Description

Studio: E1 Entertainment Release Date: 09/04/2007 Run time: 91 minutes Rating: Nr

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #63950 in DVD
• Brand: Koch International
• Released on: 2005-05-10
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: French
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 91 minutes

From The New Yorker
The début feature from Mathieu Kassovitz, a young French director trying very hard not to be the Jewish Spike Lee, and only just succeeding. Kassovitz plays Félix, an annoying young bike messenger-shades of "She's Gotta Have It." Further similarities are hardly dispelled by a heroine (the dreamy Julie Mauduech) who refuses to confine her charms to a single man. Félix has a rival for her affections, a wealthy black student (Hubert Kounde); after a raucous and unconvincing start, the movie settles down nicely into a good-natured love triangle. Kassovitz may yearn to be an Angry Young Man, but, this film portends a traditional career in the comedy of the bourgeoisie. In French. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Interesting concpet, grating characters
This movie is about a young woman named Lola of mixed racial heritage (her mother is from Martinique and that's all we know for sure) who has been sexually involved with two men whom she "loves". She becomes pregnant and brings both men together for the first time to hear the news in person. She informs them that she doesn't know which of them is the baby's father but that she intends to have her child regardless.

The men in question are Felix, a poor white Jewish guy who loves rap music and Jamal, the black Islamic son of a wealthy diplomat. Both men vie for Lola's affections and brawl with one another, getting into racially-motivated disputes over which of them should be allowed to care for mother and child, and argue about who the real father is. Eventually, the three of them live together to care for Lola and her unborn child, trying to overcome their differences.

This movie was the directorial debut of Mathieu Kassovitz, who later directed the fantastic movie "La Haine" ("Hate"), another film dealing with race relations in Paris. (He also acts: he co-starred in the movie "Amelie" as Nino and plays Felix in this movie.) Kassovitz clearly has a lot to say about race relations and it's obviously not a pretty picture. It puts a totally different face on the typical American view of Paris as a romantic, faultless city.

The trouble with this movie is the characters. None of them are particularly sympathetic, and the one character who should really win the audience's sympathy and trust fails to do so. Lola is a grating, annoying, self-righteous person who actually does FIND OUT THE IDENTITY OF THE CHILD'S FATHER and then refuses to tell the guys which one it is. She selfishly keeps that to herself so that she can keep these two guys slaving away for her, each of them operating under the assumption that he's about to be a dad. Jamal even leaves home and gets a job at a burger joint to help take care of her. Meanwhile, Miss Lola gets to sit pretty -- she doesn't appear to have any kind of job, so all she has to do is sit back and watch the fireworks and let the men do everything for her. She throws constant tantrums complaining about how she's being treated and whining about them getting along because "the three of us are having a baby." Well honey, it only takes TWO to have a baby, so Lola's math skills -- and people skills -- leave a lot to be desired.

Overall, this is an interesting look at another side of French culture but the characters are a bit difficult to deal with. Worth a rental, nothing more.

Odd Film
This was an odd film. The heroine is a little selfish and ends up being somewhat of a user. Both men who might be the baby's dad, are polar opposites and really only the African is likable. So basically you end up watching an odd tale where only one out of the 3 leads is even remotely likable. It was not a satisfying film as a romance however it was interesting and it wasn't a complete waste of 2 hours.