Viva Laldjérie (2004)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Nadir Moknèche

Writer:

Nadir Moknèche (writer)

Release Date:

7 April 2004 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

This movie portrays three women living in today's Algeria between modern society and Islamic fundamentalism...

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Lubna Azabal	...	Goucem
Biyouna	...	Papicha
Nadia Kaci	...	Fifi
Jalil Naciri	...	Samir
Abbes Zahmani	...	Chouchou
Florence Giorgetti	...	La voyante
Lounès Tazairt	...	Docteur Aniss Sassi
Akim Isker	...	Yacine Sassi
Fawzi B. Saichi	...	Le planton du cadastre (as Faouzi Saichi)
Serge Avedikian	...	Monsieur Fares
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nabil Abada	...	Le petit garçon du cortège
Kamel Abdeli	...	Nounou, le concierge
Cheb Abdou Jr.	...	Ami de M. Fares
Samir Abdoun	...	Le serveur du Rouge-Gorge
Rabah Aridj	...	Le vendeur de tableaux
Maël Atoui	...	Le fils du concierge
Mohand Azzoug	...	L'aggresseur de Yacine
Baya Belal	...	Madame Sassi
Zizek Belkebla	...	Inconnu boîte de nuit
Hayet Bouabdalah	...	La conductrice
Amine Bouadda	...	Le chauffeur de taxi
Djamel Bouazama	...	Le déménageur
Akim Fabien Busetta	...	Le copain de Yacine
Karim Chine	...	Le chauffeur de Chouchou
Leila Faidi	...	Leila
Rachid Fekar	...	Homme 1 hôpital
Samir Guittara	...	Pizzaiolo
Louiza Habani	...	Docteur Braik
Lynda Harchaoui	...	Tiziri
Ali Harrat	...	L'infirmier
Mohamed Ihamichene	...	Mo
Yahia Ikhechanene	...	Homme 2 hôpital
Fatma Kabouya	...	La femme édentée
Nathalie Karsenty	...	Caissière pizzeria (as Nathalie Karsenti)
Hafsa Zinai Koudil	...	La femme au chapeau (as Hafsa Koudil)
Cherif Laribi	...	Le barman à la Madrague
Djazia Lounissi	...	La bonne Sassi
Leila Mahamedi	...	La jeune fille du taxi
Erwanne Kenza Mas	...	Kenza, la fille de la concierge
Sarah Mas	...	Sarah, la copine de Leila
Nadir Moknèche	...	Le commissaire
Sabeha Mokneche	...	La maîtresse du mariage
Zaki Moulay	...	Le vendeur de cigarettes
Fadila Ouabdesselam	...	La bonne de la voyante
Abdelghani Oulebsir	...	Le client de Fifi
Mohamed Ourdache	...	L'homme de la morgue
Moussa Rerzki	...	Le client de 21 heures
Souad Sarri	...	La nouvelle femme de Sassi
Nawal Scandar	...	Danseuse boîte de nuit
Haffira Sellami	...	Femme de ménage hôpital
Youcef Silhat	...	Le patron du bar
Linda Slimani	...	Hadjira, la concierge
Waguih Takla	...	Monsieur Mouffok
Aida Yahiaoui	...	La dame chic du taxi
Mourad Yekour	...	L'homme au journal
Mourad Zerouni	...	Le guichetier du cadastre
Nawel Zwit	...	La femme à la fourrure

Also Known As:

Viva Algeria (International: English title)

Runtime:

France:113 min

Country:

France | Algeria | Belgium

Language:

French | Arabic

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:M18 | Netherlands:12

Company:

BL Prod.

I'd love to love this movie, but...

This is the type of film that I would love to love. The cast are remarkable - Lubna Azabal and the actress that plays her mother in particular. The subject is a complete reversal of what one would expect of Algeria. It's also a film with very strong female roles. So in theory, everything is in place to make an explosive combination.

So why does it drag so much? "Viva" is curiously dispassionate, despite the best efforts of the cast. Longish midrange shots film the actor's movements, without letting us get into their heads. We understand what they are doing and why, without really becoming involved.

With a firmer hand, this could have been an explosive story, à la Almodovar. As it is, I get the feeling it's a great script and cast being put through the motions.

I also have to add a word about the highly distracting plinkety-plonk piano music that adds to the lethargic direction. I presume the director wanted to avoid Arabic music to avoid clichés. But puh-lease! This sounds like a low-budget auteur chamber soundtrack when what was needed was something to drive us towards the next scene.