....so brace yourselves my darlings ......(Natalie Merchant)
A very good movie by Walid Mattar ,probably influenced by Robert Guédigian whose social concerns are the perfect antidote to the feel good French scene ;like Guédiguian ,or Kenneth Loach in England ,he depicts the underdogs of the working class ,and like his French colleague sometimes does ("La Ville Est Tranquille") ,he alternates Hervé's and Foued's lives,in a way that coherently blends his vision of their predicaments ;in fact Foued's scenes amplify Hervé's and vice versa.
A plant is relocated in Tunisia ; in France Hervé loses his job with a 30,000 euros severance pay ,which is not much when you are only a fifty-something; Thus ,Foued finds a job in his land ,where the workers toil for a starvation wage . Hervé's son spends his time playing video games before joining the army ,but he agrees to help his father whose plan appeals to him:to fish and to sell their product at an absolutely unbeatable price ;but you have to deal with the administration and the powers that be :one individual struggling the authorities cannot hope to win .
As for Foued ,who has plans for the future,the unfortunate young man realizes that he is exploited and he gives up after a few weeks .Hervé and foued have something in common :both of them refuse to be part of the pack who goes on demonstrating (the French) or resign themselves (the Tunisian) both have kept their pride",their destinies mirror each other"..........
The movie is half -French half- Arab (with subtitles) ,which shows respect for both audiences :it should not be off-putting ,the movie is very accessible and can appeal to anyone.
SPOILERS AHEAD : The movie can be both optimistic and pessimistic: Hervé has found a part-time job :he regulates the traffic near the schools ,hoping for better things ;his son, having successfully had his physical examination can have found his way in the navy .Foued emigrates to France,expecting to see better days ;when he arrives ,he sees a firework in the distance .....like Hervé's firework at the beginning...full circle ?A good or bad omen?Northern wind (title) for a man from a sunny land?
A very good movie by Walid Mattar ,probably influenced by Robert Guédigian whose social concerns are the perfect antidote to the feel good French scene ;like Guédiguian ,or Kenneth Loach in England ,he depicts the underdogs of the working class ,and like his French colleague sometimes does ("La Ville Est Tranquille") ,he alternates Hervé's and Foued's lives,in a way that coherently blends his vision of their predicaments ;in fact Foued's scenes amplify Hervé's and vice versa.
A plant is relocated in Tunisia ; in France Hervé loses his job with a 30,000 euros severance pay ,which is not much when you are only a fifty-something; Thus ,Foued finds a job in his land ,where the workers toil for a starvation wage . Hervé's son spends his time playing video games before joining the army ,but he agrees to help his father whose plan appeals to him:to fish and to sell their product at an absolutely unbeatable price ;but you have to deal with the administration and the powers that be :one individual struggling the authorities cannot hope to win .
As for Foued ,who has plans for the future,the unfortunate young man realizes that he is exploited and he gives up after a few weeks .Hervé and foued have something in common :both of them refuse to be part of the pack who goes on demonstrating (the French) or resign themselves (the Tunisian) both have kept their pride",their destinies mirror each other"..........
The movie is half -French half- Arab (with subtitles) ,which shows respect for both audiences :it should not be off-putting ,the movie is very accessible and can appeal to anyone.
SPOILERS AHEAD : The movie can be both optimistic and pessimistic: Hervé has found a part-time job :he regulates the traffic near the schools ,hoping for better things ;his son, having successfully had his physical examination can have found his way in the navy .Foued emigrates to France,expecting to see better days ;when he arrives ,he sees a firework in the distance .....like Hervé's firework at the beginning...full circle ?A good or bad omen?Northern wind (title) for a man from a sunny land?
