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Outside the Law
| Released |
6 May 2011 |
| Director |
Rachid Bouchareb |
Starring
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Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem Sami Bouajila |
| Writer(s) |
Rachid Bouchareb |
| Producer(s) |
Jean Bréhat |
| Origin |
France, Algeria, Belgium |
| Running Time |
138 minutes |
| Genre |
Crime, drama |
| Rating |
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Inside expectations.
Following its nomination as one of six best foreign film at this years Academy Awards Rachid Bouchareb's Outside the Law has received a global release. The Academy's 'Foreign' category has always been a contentious area for many a film fan and maker alike. It has happened, on more than one occasion, that the film awarded Best Picture has actually been a lesser effort than that awarded the Best Foreign Picture plaudit. A good example would be 2009's The Hurt Locker. There's no debating that film's quality, but when compared to The Secret In Their Eyes or even A Prophet ( a runner up that year), Kathryn Bigelow's effort is inferior. It's not all negative however, far from it, the great positive about the Foreign Film category being that it will raise the profile of a number of foreign films that would otherwise never generate a mainstream audience. Outside the Law is such a film.
Set against the backdrop of France’s occupation of Algeria, Outside the Law documents the lives of three of that country's sons and their struggle for independence and is a compelling watch from start to finish. Throughout its two hour running time the narrative predominantly shifts between two genres. On one hand you're watching a family drama, as the three brothers try to establish lives and develop relationships both with each other and their unwelcome host country. Performances in the central roles are extremely impressive, actually if I'm honest Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem and Sami Bouajila, each acting as a brother and very different brothers at that, preformed something extremely rare and equalled each others outstanding performance in their execution of said roles. Unfortunately when Outside the Law moves away from family drama and into film noir territory issues start to surface. It's not that the film is particularly weak in the area but sadly it just seems to play out like a Michael Mann movie, and one you've already seen at that.
The film’s reception in France has been mixed. Historical inaccuracies being, as you would expect, their biggest gripe. In one way it's fair for the French to cite such issues, their portrayal in the movie is far from flattering, but on the other hand atrocities were committed, albeit to a lesser extent than the film depicts, and the French director of Algerian descent should be afforded some slight blurring of the definite facts in the name of art. What he's produced here is at times magnificent in its execution but sadly fails to maintain this as further dimensions to the film evolve. A more subtle approach to the story's more cinematic themes might have resulted in Outside the Law's Foreign Picture status changing from 'nominee' to 'winner'.
- David Prendergast |
