Divines (2016)

How sad is this?

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I stumbled upon this film tonight on Netflix and was so happy I did. This is one of the best films I have seen and I have seen a lot of great films. If I was to list all of the things that the director/writer, Houda Benyamina did well with this film I would be writing for days, so to name a few, the story was fascinating and unique, the acting was better than superb and with the entire cast, the cinematography was outstanding, choice of musical composition was just perfect for the film and the story progression was just awesome and left the viewer guessing the entire time with what will happen next. The lead actress, Oulaya Amamra, should be nominated for an academy award or something of that level. She was so amazing and just nailed her role throughout this entire film. I am a critical with films and with acting and I have found faults with many of the best films of all time. I didn't find even one with this film. I give this film a 10/10 and only because there isn't an 11 that i can check off. One of the best I have ever seen...

The director, like the main character, wants success. And she did it. Only by opening the door out not the door in. She got the big prize. And that is about it. The bureaucratic machine has eaten her whole. Don't get me wrong. I hope I am wrong.I have seen comments about the rush ending. The ending is not rushed. It is a natural consequence. And the whole script is made following a opera or simple drama. Only both classical drama and the opera are the ways white Europeans see as the highest refinement in entertainment. The film was made to please the eyes and the minds of old f*rts that fill the juries and the commissions that are specialized in turning the taxpayer money into alms for those who know how to please.There are social statements, but they are void and not offensive, like the small exercise in accountancy at the beginning: "how much you make? 1000€? The rent is 800. Pay the food and at the end of the month you have nothing." It is true. It is said. Yet it says nothing about the system. Police brutality is never touched. And the final confrontation with the cops is a ballet rehearsal.I have loved how expressive and full of life Oulaya Amamra can be. But her character has a split personality. In a country where when you can boil an egg on the asphalt the women still wear a bra and two tank tops, she can go to a club with no bra and a generous cleavage. She can in one scene have a hard time coping with the promiscuity of her mother pointing out her decision to fight that, and in another scene go lure a violent man with sex.In the end there is no story. What does the character want? That's easy. Money. But money to do what? And here is where the director-writer fails. All these are stock characters from television. The youngster with no future. The girls who sell a vagina hoping for the better. The opportunist drug peddler. The unfit mother who god forbid has sex with more than her lawfully given husband and does not read books on parenting. All these are silhouettes on TV. And the story is not on screen but in the white old man's mind, the one who handles the taxpayer money. Sure, there are drugs in the movie. But these are only a device. The stereotype of the easy money. The drugs are not escapism from the ugly world outside, as there is no ugly world outside. The high rise building is only the backdrop to remind the viewer of the 5 o'clock news.It could have been a 100 minutes story on a budget with only Oulaya Amamra, Déborah Lukumuena and Jisca Kalvanda. Without state money it could have been done precisely a decade ago when the director's association was made. But that association is another way to make a living dancing with the state and tearing the stories apart while moving from place to place to please white old men in power. Of course Cannes wouldn't have looked at such films. But who knows? In that dreamt reality 2016 would have been the production year of a third or even a fourth feature movie on a budget.Yamina Benguigui has started much better. Stronger films, more accessible stories. And today she is yet another bureaucrat managing other people's money. She has more than one boss and she has to please to receive the money she hands down. Her last work was for TV and that was 7 years ago. And she is not the only one eaten by the machine.A sad broken story made into a ladder.Contact me with Questions, Comments or Suggestions ryitfork @ bitmail.ch

An incoherent review of emotions experienced after watching this movie:Every emotion is felt so strongly by the watcher. Dounya's story is one that many in the world have to live through. So unfair, so alone in her despair... A drunken mother whom she has to lay in bed, whom she has to see 'fucking' around. No father. No one to look to for guidance.. except for Rebecca - a fallen girl. It's impressive how D. defends herself and how she learns to protect herself. Self-pity isn't present. There's room only for survival. She has her mind set on the goal: money - which she mistakes for freedom. This is her downfall. To refuse to let anyone through her iron shell of emotions and "unfairness" is to refuse the escape of this life she (and so many others) is stuck in. From an artistic point of view, this movie is beautiful. A pure reflection of life itself. The images and the music are real. The movie is honest and certainly deserves true attention.

If there is one reason to love Netflix it is because it gives you access to films like these in the comfort of your own home. No need to venture to your closest city and pay $13+. You can cry, laugh, yell at the screen, and not worry about someone else's watching experience while doing so. With all that said, let's talk about Divines.Characters & StoryDounia (Oulaya Amamra)When you grow up in a Roma camp with a mom who is not only embarrassing but seems to lack maturity, it makes your desire for a better life skyrocket. Something past being a simple receptionist, but making big money, millions even. That is Dounia's dream and she plans on bringing best friend Maimouna (Déborah Lukumuena) right with her. Though, to get to those heights, they need to work with Rebecca (Jisca Kalvanda) who is a local hoodlum who seemingly runs a big part of their estate's dope dealings.But, along the way to rising up through the ranks, so comes Djigui (Kevin Mischel). A dancer who originally is just someone Dounia, with Maimouna, watch from the rafters. However, after a spitting contest, and him chasing Dounia, so begins something more than either expected.However, with a life of crime and this young man going places, which life will Dounia choose? Which life will be available to her and ultimately, can her dreams come true despite all that she has done?HighlightsExperience FriendshipIt isn't clear when Dounia and Maimouna's friendship started, but similar to Girlhood, it is beautiful to watch two girls empower each other, be ride or die for one another, and have this sisterhood like bond which is enviable. For while often it seemed Maimouna was just along for the ride, she never fell prey to just being the big black best friend. For whether it was showing us her parents, us understanding how deeply she believed in her faith and how that influenced her, she wasn't made out to be shallow.A Cute Love AffairThough certainly not a huge part of the film, it was hard to not swoon a bit when it came to Dounia and Djigui's relationship. For while Amamra's youthfulness made you question if Djigui was too old for her, you can't help but lose yourself in the type of romance you could see being its own movie. For their scenes dancing together and you being able to tell he is definitely her first love, oh my god it makes you want to squeal.The Desire For MoreWhat is always necessary, but not always done, is understanding the motive and what drives the characters. With this film, it is clear from Dounia to Samir (Yasin Houicha) and everyone in between. For whether it is Maimouna sticking with Dounia because she makes her feel wanted, beautiful and free; Samir desiring Rebecca's approval for she calls him her brother and it makes him feel good; or Djigui wanting to dance because of the feeling it gives him, everyone's motives are clear.The one especially clear though is Dounia who between seeing her mother, a lecture from her teacher, and the environment she grows up in, sees crime and drugs as the easiest way to stability and money. So whether it is robbing someone to prove herself, figuring out how to drive a scooter to be more useful, or even how to go from a plain Jane to a seductress, she figures out a way and seeing her do so is something to watch.Oulaya AmamraLeading to the last bit of praise required: That for the lead Ms. Amamra. To me she is unknown and with only a handful of films before this, mostly shorts, for her to command you so well in one of her first big outings is something. I mean, she to me is the meaning of "There is strength in vulnerability" and through her eyes, you can see fear and uncertainty just as much as she can do as Tyra Banks once spoke of, in terms of smiling with your eyes.But it isn't just all physical, in a way it is mental too. There are many a beautiful actress out there but how many can get a reaction out of you with their clothes on? Amamra does that for whether it is hoping love will be true with Djigui, that she doesn't end up dead working for Rebecca, and that Maimouna doesn't abandon her when she needs her most, she gets you so emotionally invested.CriticismA Cheap & Rushed EndingThus making me wonder why the ending that was done was chosen? I get it is supposed to represent her reaping what she sows, but it left me so frustrated. For one, it seemed like a climax and then something was done with a character to get a cheap and quick reaction out of you. Which, considering all that preceded, honestly the ending seemed like the writers either didn't want you to have closure or decided to end things there for otherwise this movie would be ridiculously long.Overall: Worth SeeingI hope, similar to Lea Seydoux, this introduction to Oulaya Amamra is her invitation to the world stage. For there is this versatility to her that not many young actresses have anymore for, so it seems, they are only cast due to having pretty faces and marketable bodies. And while she may have been the main focus of my praise, overall the cast each bring something to the film where while they are largely in support of her, you can't say a single negative thing about them. Well, besides their part in the ending.