L’Esquive (2003) - film review

On a rundown housing estate on the outskirts of Paris, Krimo, a teenage boy of North African descent, lives with his mother in a cramped apartment.   Shortly after he is dumped by his girlfriend, Krimo notices another girl, Lydia.  Although he is instantly attracted to her, Krimo is too shy to show his feelings for her.   It so happens that Lydia is playing a part in a school production of a Marivaux play.  In order to get to know her, he bribes another boy to let him take his place in the play...

L’Esquive is director Abdel Kechiche’s follow up to his impressive debut film La Faute à Voltaire (2000).  The film won widespread critical acclaim when it was released in France in 2004, winning many awards including no fewer than four Césars in 2005 (including the Best Film and Best Director awards).  The film’s distinctive naturalistic style and captivating performances from a non-professional cast have earned it favourable reviews across the world.  It is not, however, a particularly accessible film – it is thin on plot and the dialogue, a mix of teenage street slang and verlan (backslang), is hard to follow.  The film’s main deficiency, however, is the implausibility of one of its key plot ingredients - ordinary street kids on a housing estate taking a serious interest in 18th century drama.  Although the critics seemed willing to overlook this flaw, it does seriously undermine the film’s realism and obscures some of its underlying social themes.

© James Travers 2007

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