Exiles (2004)

"Exils" is terrific on many levels. Beautiful composition, locations, light, cinematography, performances, and music. The story moves from one marvelous setting to another. The shot's are beautifully composed. The people are "real." I'm amazed that one of the previous reviewers is disturbed by sensuality. It seems that the characters are a bit too real for that person. I'm surprised at the number of other reviewers on this site that fail to connect with the essence of "Exils." Maybe they've never traveled on the cheap or experienced the beauty of random meetings and relying on the good will of strangers. Watch it again if you have the time.

I saw EXILS in the Polish cinema recently as a part of the sequence "psycho vibrations" with a group of students. After the movie, we had a little chat together with the organizer of the meeting. Most of us agreed that the movie by Tony Gatlif is different than most of the films we see nowadays. Although EXILS is in no way outstanding, there are some aspects worth mentioning, the things that make it a must see for open minded viewers but, at the same time, it may be a huge moral spoiler.Music is, I think, the most important aspect that needs to be mentioned. The viewer is supplied with a wonderful musical experience throughout the whole movie, is provided with the experience of various sorts of music, from Techno through Flamenco, yet to the Algerian trance. As a result, you, in a sense, take part in the experience that the main characters, real music lovers, get through. You watch the movie and let yourself be drown into the perfect music. The most intense experience moment is when they dance in Algeria, the trance is becoming more and more intensified at every single second. It very much affects the audience.Besides, the movie quite accurately presents the reality of immigrants, the problems they have to cope with, and the culture clash. Although the emphasis is drawn to a couple, Naima (Lubna Azabal) and Zano (Romain Duris), the major topic of their plot is being on the way from France to Algieria in order to find origins. On their way, they meet various people, most of them are immigrants who left their homelands in the hope for a better life. They are like the violin masoned in the wall, as it is showed in a symbolic scene when Zano masons his violin. In this case, the film seems to be a voice for the ignored but this message is not so clearly noticeable.SPOILER: Stereotypically perhaps, due to the fact that EXILS is a French movie, there must be some nudity, which is a serious moral spoiler. But people who overdo with Puritan blame directed towards any sex scenes will not find much accusation in EXILS. There are very few moments that openly show naked Naima and Zano. Some are not appropriate and disturbing, like the first shot of the movie, but some are not that bad. For example, the scene when they are making love in the garden is fairly well made, it is not vulgar but totally filled with sexuality directing our attention to the pleasure of the couple. And, moreover, I found apples pretty symbolic in this scene.SPOILER: The movie, however, does not make much use of the locations and landscapes that the main characters visit. It is only said that they are in Spain but hardly anything is showed. There is only a landscape of Andalusian territories noticeable as Naima and Zano are traveling by train and a moment look at Paris, but that is it. Therefore, it is not true that you will have a chance to admire various places in this movie.SPOILER: And the content of the movie does not have much to offer. It is an attempt to show the life without any more profound sense, without any spirituality. The only "god" for the main characters is music. Consider how Zano replies to the question of a Muslim who is keen on their religion - "My religion is music". Therefore, EXILS does not show life as a moral value whatsoever. It appears to be nothing more than time spent on realizing loose habits, fulfilling sexual desires, and listening to music as the best relaxation. As a result, the life of main characters is not that much an individual freedom any longer but moves towards sheer anarchy.Nevertheless, the whole movie is worth seeing as a different look at values and at filming convention. Although it is not a memorable movie in general, some moments may remain in memory. We are all hidden in this world like the violin masoned in the wall. The gist is to find the sense of life and what the sense will be depends entirely on every individual. And a must for music lovers! 6/10!

A road movie told by the book: The growing of the character through the road. Two characters without a past or future. The matter is the "here" and "now". And a soundtrack most people would want by the end of this picture.The initial sequence may be a homage to the "throwing the jar of beer" sequence of Trainspotting, but it settles the tone of latent violence in the whole movie. After some sex a couple just want to go to Algeria, just like that. The same if you are watching the football game and want to buy a pack of gum at the seven-eleven. After that, there's only one word to define how you feel when you see this: Unconfortable. Most of this feeling comes from the fact that this people random like a feather in the wind, going back and forward in their journey as well as in their relationship. After an unnecessary long final exorcism sequence (and if you saw "Twenty-nine palms" and 1975's "Laure") you are enough paranoic to expect the worst. By the end, you will leave a sigh of relief for sure. There are good sequences, good acting, Lubna Azabal is sensual, Romain Duris is good, anyway, you'll decide what you conserve and what you throw away. And, yes, the soundtrack is superb going from the modern electronic hybrids, passing through the flamenco, until the source of all in the Algerian (and therefore by extension African and eastern) types of music. The music composed by the director, Tony Gatlif, is so good that you may wonder if the whole movie was just a big excuse to sell you the soundtrack (and sorry, Mr. Gatlif). But this factor certainly raises the level of the film. And the theme of the road movie also gives a chance to shoot an attractive cinematography. It's up to you.

Beautifully-filmed road movie with long musical sequences. The tale of two losers that hit the road to reach Algeria from Paris is peppered with vibrant musical interludes that echo their journey back to their roots, from nose-bleed techno, through passionate flamenco to raw Algerian trance. Once they get there, Gatlif loses his hand a little by not concluding the story. Naima is portrayed as a loose cannon throughout the movie, with hints to her past and a huge question mark over her future. Neither of these is I think is answered conclusively. On a sidenote, is this not one of the most explosive women on screen since "Betty Blue"?But a pretty entertaining tale very well played by the two lead actors, Lubna Azabal and Romain Duris.