Reviews

I gritted my teeth through 30 minutes of this awful movie before I couldn't take it anymore.

Let's start with dialogue; it's so poorly written that even Jake Gyllenhaal's superb acting couldn't save it. All the cast have entirely too many lines and EVERYTHING is spelled out as if the audience are complete idiots.

As for the cast, Jake Gyllenhaal was a great choice but I'm not sure about the other characters. I couldn't form any sort of connection to them. They feel contrived, like their personalities are fake. Charlie and her tree monologue was super cringe.

There were some CGI scenes which is were quite poor quality and took you out of the movie.

Lastly, the storyline has been somewhat changed from the original, not for the better. They make a big show of revealing that the main character is Jake Gyllenhaal, as if it were some great big secret when his name's plastered on the posters and everyone's watching this exactly because we know it has Jake Gyllenhaal!

I can't watch the rest. It's really a pity because I so wanted to like this movie.

This movie had a decent enough premise, good acting, some beautiful visuals and atmospheric cinematography, but it was ultimately let down by the awful screenplay.

Firstly, the movie was too long. Some scenes were unnecessarily dragged out, some scenes were just plain unnecessary. Also, some lines were cringy and unrealistic, and some twists and turns of the story didn't feel natural at all.

Another issue is that the characters personalities have continuity problems; they seem to do things out of character a little too often for the viewer to really develop any understanding of them. This isn't the actors fault, who do their best with the script and deliver reasonable performances. The problem, as mentioned, is the script. Some developments just don't make sense.

There are a lot of loose ends too. I'm all for leaving some things to the imagination of the viewer, not everything has to be spelled out, but this movie really takes the cake. At 1 hour 38 minutes long, you'd think there would be enough time for a satisfying end for a simple story like this one. Unfortunately, so much of the beginning and middle is wasted on boring scenes that don't add anything to the story, and then the end is an odd sequence of disjointed what-nexts for the main characters.

The writer really needs to get someone sensible to make sure their story checks out before going to production, and they also need to get a decent editor to chop and organize the scenes properly.

I had big hopes when I heard Tim Roth was in this movie but he really wasn't given a lot to work with.

Overall a disappointing movie which could've been a lot better.

I had big expectations for this movie given the hype, caste, and production value. Unfortunately the only thing that was really delivered was the eye candy.

The screenplay, I'm sorry to say, was absolutely awful. Terrible lines, choppy scenes, incoherent story flow. I doubt anyone with a mental age over 12 would be impressed here. I was bored at times, confused at others, incredulous often, and cringing so badly that I was gritting my teeth through a lot of this movie and skipping scenes just to make it to the end.

The main characters have obviously been chosen for their looks and they just don't have much chemistry. They look like 2 hot guys who have been paid to stand next to each other. Oh sure, they deliver their lines as contracted, and even make an effort at wearing the correct expressions, but at no point did I believe in their love. Galitzine is an ok actor, he might even do well with a better script. As for Zakhar Perez...he was...just...weird. I don't know why his acting throws me off but everytime he spoke it was like I was there with the cameraman filming an actor trying to act. Lord help me at some point his voice started sounding like a braying donkey to me and then I just couldn't take him seriously!

This movie...tried. And flopped. Badly.

Even His Majesty Stephen Fry couldn't save this movie.

To the powers that be, please take note of the particular blend of ingredients that made this movie, and never ever repeat the recipe. Thank you.

Le Paradis is a triumph of storytelling with superb acting from all the caste, excellent cinematography, and an enchanting soundtrack.

The characters of Joe and William are brought to life by the talented Khalil Ben Gharbia and Julien De Saint Jean who have wonderful chemistry together. Joe and William's yearning is palpable throughout the film, which is a testament to the actor's ability.

The story is set in a juvenile delinquents reform centre, where a group of boys are managed by a small team of staff who run the their day to day activities. The struggles that lead one to become a juvenile delinquent is breathtakingly told when Joe performs his rap composition. Ben Gharbia's emotional performance in this scene really brought home the tragedy of his life, his anger at being from a broken home, his feelings of alienation arising from being of an ethnic minority, and his pain at how hopeless and bleak his future seems.

Meanwhile De Saint Jean perfectly embodies his character William who, despite his reputation and appearance, is remarkably affectionate, sensitive, talented and has a rich inner world where his imagination takes flight, as evident through his drawings. His fondness for Joe immediately becomes evident when he chooses him as the subject of his black box photography project. This scene includes extended shots with gorgeous cinematography, of the characters gazing intently at each other, which speaks volumes about their budding emotions. Later, William's silent tears, shed in solitude, emphatically convey his intense loneliness and sorrow in the suffocating setting of the reform centre.

A really special sentiment expressed beautifully throughout the movie is that of yearning. We witness William and Joe, full of hopeless yearning, constantly trying to reach for each other through the wall that separates their rooms. Joe plays William a love song through the wall which is heart-wrenchingly romantic. Then, they try to communicate by knocking, before finally happily discovering that their voice can be heard on the other side. William, who has a fascination for snakes as they are believed to be guardians of paradise according to viking legends, goes so far as to draw snakes all over the wall that separates him from Joe, subtly stating that Joe is his paradise. All these scenes are heartbreaking and convey the depth of their feelings and challenges in ways that leave the viewer is awe.

Another wonderful thing about this movie is that Joe and William's intimacy is shown rather than spoken; William hides his radio for Joe in a place he knows Joe will find it when Joe's own radio is confiscated, Joe gets a tattoo from William and it's the snake protecting paradise design which means so much to William, they steal away moments when they can and sit together in knowing silence when they can't. The screenplay is simply superb and says what it needs to without adding anything superfluous.

The music is heavenly and fits perfectly with every scene. I especially loved the enchanting song a little past the halfway point, which was a rendition of Soltane Ghalbha (King of Hearts, Aref) in another language. It played to a beautiful and romantic sequence of William and Joe growing closer which was really moving. Congratulations and well done Bachar Mar-Khalifé on his excellent soundtrack.

A special mention must be made for the secondary characters who played their roles with heart and realism. Well done!

Overall Le Paradis is a beautiful film that will make your heart ache for its brave, unlikely lovers.