35/37
Local rebellious teenager Clotre falls in love with his classmate Jackie, but gang violence leads him down a darker, more destructive path. After years apart, the star-crossed lovers discover that every path they take leads them back together. Malik Fricka, who plays 17-year-old Clotre in this film, was a world champion breakdancer when she was 10 years old. One of the characters wears a Rolex Daytona Ceramic in the 1990s, but the watch wasn’t released until 2016. Mes Mains Music by Gilbert Bécaud Lyrics by Pierre Delanoë. The film is very long and quite uneven between its first part, when the characters are teenagers, and the second part, ten years later. The acting is really good. The young actors are fresh and unadulterated. Adele and François are top notch. Alain Chabat is a big teddy bear and, as usual, you want to punch Benoit Poolvoorde. The musical background really sets the tone for the 80s in a small industrial French town. Mostly British and American songs, but so grounded in the era. You finish the film with a smile on your face. It’s not the best film of the year, but a beautiful crazy, passionate love story. Although it’s uneven, you follow Clotaire and Jackie the whole way.