Review of Exils

I saw this film at the Chicago International Film Festival, and I must say that I enjoyed it. I was really skeptical because I had thought that all French movies were just stupid sex-filled movies. Sure, this film has its share of nudity, but it doesn't distract from the story. You know nothing about these characters once the film starts except that they like to eat and drink naked in an apartment. For the next 1.5 hours you get to know little snippets from the past of their lives and hope to know more about what they want and what they need. On the path to Algeria, they evolve more as friends and as people to the audience, and not just as techno-music-blaring punks. By the climax of the film, the true characters come out of their young shells. They deal with their past in emotional ways (I won't spoil it) and leave the audience with a sense of accomplishment as the credits roll.

I do have complaints that stem from the way it was presented. First of all, the subtitles in the version I saw were inconsistent, meaning that sometimes people would speak and I would see no subtitles. Otherwise, this is a great movie that I highly recommend.

movie 9.7/10 presentation 8.7/10