Samba (2014)

Samba migrated to France ten years ago from Senegal, and has since been plugging away at various lowly jobs. Alice is a senior executive who has recently undergone a burn-out. Both struggle... See full summary »

Directors:

Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano

Writers:

Éric Toledano (scenario), Olivier Nakache (scenario)

Stars:

Omar Sy, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Tahar Rahim

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Omar Sy	...	Samba Cissé
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Alice
Tahar Rahim	...	Walid dit Wilson
Izïa Higelin	...	Manu
Issaka Sawadogo	...	Jonas Karanoto
Hélène Vincent	...	Marcelle
Youngar Fall	...	L'oncle Lamouna
Christiane Millet	...	Madeleine
Jacqueline Jehanneuf	...	Maggy
Liya Kebede	...	Magali dite Gracieuse
Sabine Pakora	...	Gracieuse - la gérante du salon
Clotilde Mollet	...	Josiane - de l'agence d'intérim
Boubacar Ndiaye	...	Un migrant à l'association
Oumar Makalou	...	Un migrant à l'association
Roukiata Ouedraogo	...	Un migrant à l'association

Storyline

Samba migrated to France ten years ago from Senegal, and has since been plugging away at various lowly jobs. Alice is a senior executive who has recently undergone a burn-out. Both struggle to get out of their dead-end lives. Samba's willing to do whatever it takes to get working papers, while Alice tries to get her life back on track until fate draws them together.

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Plot Keywords:

paris france | immigrant | legal aid | character name as title | forename as title | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes those with nothing have the most to lose.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Details

Official Sites:

Gaumont [France] Official site

Country:

France

Language:

French English Portuguese Russian Serbian Arabic

Release Date:

15 October 2014 (France)

Also Known As:

Самба

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$39,041, 31 July 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$149,805, 23 August 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Quad Productions, Ten Films, Gaumont

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Samba is sitting in the Metro waiting for a train, behind him is a poster with the heading 'Pasolini Roma'. This is an advertisement for an exhibition that examined the works of writer and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini and in particular, his interactions with Rome. The exhibition was not limited to his cinema work but also included poetry, politics, his commitment to city life, sex, and friendship. It was held in three cities - Barcelona, Paris and Berlin, with the Paris exhibition at the La Cinémathèque Française running form 16th October 2013 t0 26th January 2014.

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Quotes

Alice: Ni le début d'abus.

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Crazy Credits

A continuation of the last scene showing Samba walking through Paris is seen behind the initial credits (till around one-third of the way through the credits).

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Connections

References Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)

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Soundtracks

Love Theme from Spartacus
Written by Alex North
Performed by Terry Callier

User Reviews

To know you is to love you

I walked out of the cinema with a smile on my face, I was entertained watching this movie. Samba is just like the dance, slick, emotional but also fun. Omar Sy and Charlotte Gainsbourg's rapport on film felt natural and wasn't overplayed all actors on this movie, do it justice. The reality of illegal immigrants is not what this movie is about this movie is about hope through 4 different main characters, Samba, Alice, Wilson and Manu, spotlight is on Samba and Alice, but you get a sense that really it's all about Samba and his survival in the urban jungle. Charlotte Gainsbourg gives a riveting performance, as a tortured soul in need of feeding and nurturing, at times filling the screen with her beauty at others looking so raw and in pain, it's all in her eyes and a gentle pitch in her voice, I don't think her voice has changed much since l'Effrontée ( she was 15 and that was 25 years ago!). Tahar Rahim was also very believable as Wilson, he has fun with this role, but never takes away from Omar Sy, good supporting actor's performance from him. The soundtrack is uplifting with the theme song To Know you is to Love you by Stevie Wonder with Syreeta, the melody punctuates the film throughout and you walk out humming it to yourself. The ending is french it's after all a french movie so no "fluffy, Hollywood,let's all live happily ever after ", cheesy ending for Samba. Just a natural conclusion, a blend of softness and release.