Les Misérables

DIRECTOR LADJ LY

RELEASE DATE 24 APRIL

STARRING

DAMIEN BONNARD, DJEBRIL ZONGA, ALEXIS MANENTI, STEVEN TIENTCHEU, ISSA PERICA

CERTIFICATE 15

RUNNING TIME 104 MINS

RATHER THAN ADDING ANOTHER ENTRY IN THE LONG LINE OF LES MISÉRABLES ADAPTATIONS, director Ladj Lywasinsteadinspired bythespiritofVictorHugo’s classic taleofsocialinjustice in19thcenturyParis,setin thesameareaofthecity whichLygrewupin.Withhis incendiaryfeaturedebut,he expertlyshowsushow Hugo’smasterpieceisevery bitasrelevanttodayasitwas whenitwasfirstpublished.

Afterwinningthe prestigiousJuryPrizeatlast year’sCannesFilmFestival –whereestablisheddirectors QuentinTarantino,Terrence Malickandevenfestival favouriteKenLoachwent homeempty-handed–Ly’s explosivefilmlandedwitha bang.Ithasbecomeahuge hitinitshomelandsinceits releaseinFrancelatelast year,andwentstraightonto carryitscountry’sflaginthe Oscars’hotlycontested InternationalFilmcategory, upagainstheavyweightslike BongJoon-ho’sParasiteand PedroAlmodóvar’sPain And Glory.Ifthere’sanawardwinningforeign-language filmyoumustseethisyear, it’sthisone.

Drawingonhisown experiencesasa documentaryfilmmaker growingupinaParis banlieue,Lywasinfluenced bythecity’sriotsof2005and exploresthesuburbofhis youth:Montfermeil.Ly’sfilm hasabigheartforthearea’s diversepopulation:itopens withjoyousscenesofpeople ofallcreedsandcolours cheeringtheFrenchfootball teamontovictoryinthe 2018WorldCup,butit’snot longbeforeitshiftsgears, unfoldingintoatourdeforce ofsimmeringtensions threateningtoerupt betweenthesepeopleand thepolicetryingtokeep themincheck.

Notonetopainteither sideinblackorwhite,Lyhas masterfullywoventogether multipleperspectivestotell allsidesofthestory.Atfirst, however,it’shardtotell, sinceourprotagonistsare undercoverandlookmore likethelocalMafiathanthe police.Thenewstarteris Stéphane(DamienBonnard), who’sjoinedthecity’s Anti-CrimeBrigade.With himarethestreetwise Gwada(DjebrilZonga)and thebullishChris(Alexis Manenti),anditisclearfrom theoffthatStéphanewillnot beaneasyfit.Chrisisthe quintessentialbadcop, disdainfulofthecommunity hepolices,whileGwada turnsablindeyetohis colleague’sfrequent rule-bending.

Stéphaneisoutofhis depthjusttryingtogetup tospeedwithallthe communitiesinthebanlieue. Inonehigh-risethere’s‘The Mayor’,whoknows everyoneandeverything thatgoesoninhisquarters; inthekebabshopthere’s Saleh,whotakesthe disaffectedMuslimyouth underhiswing;andonthe streetsitselfarethecity’s children,whohavetolearn younghowtohandle themselveswhentargeted bythepolice.Whenan altercationbetweenthe childrenandtheAnti-Crime Brigadeturnsviolentand iscapturedonfilm,the threecopsracetofindthe footagebeforeitgetsout, withtheneighbourhood’s volatilestatusquoatriskof finallyexploding.

Les Misérablesisa grippingportraitofthe complexitiesofmoderncity life,anuncompromising depictionofavibrant communitytoldbyadirector withfirsthandknowledgeof itsinnerworkings. Itisatrip throughthepowder-keg heartoftheParisunderclass, wherethebattlelineshave alreadylongbeendrawn,and itresonatesfarbeyondthat city’sstreets.Lyhasdonea remarkablejobofgivinga voicetoanentire disenfranchisedgeneration. AdmirersofgrittyFrench cinemalikeA Prophet will knowthisterrainwell,andit isnosurprisethishasbeen hailedasthespiritual successortoLa Haine.Ladj Ly’spulse-poundingthriller standstallinsuchcompany.

Damon Wise

IN THE KNOW

1

The film has been a massive box-office success in France, grossing more than $15m.

2

Ladj Ly started out as an actor and a member of Kourtrajmé, a collective he co-created in 1995 with childhood friends, directors

Kim Chapiron and Romain Gavras. After 20 years making documentaries, this is his first narrative feature.

3

The mural in the middle photo opposite is of Ladj Ly when he was younger, and taken by renowned photographer JR. It has been featured on buildings across France, and was even plastered 100ft high on the side of the Tate Modern.