"The Boy from Lebanon" (a much-needed retitling) is thought-provoking and intense depiction of a true story, a plot by Hezbollah to assassinate Francois Mitterand using a child. It's far and away the best film I've seen distributed by Picture This!, and it surpasses "Syriana" in showing how terrorists are created out of ordinary young people.
In this case, "young" means very young; Djilali is a scant eleven years old when he's sold--quite literally--into terrorism. This is a more than a consciousness-raiser about the plight of children in war-torn areas--it's a thoroughly convincing story of the power of friendship.
Djilali (Teufik Jallab) is emotionally shattered, detached, and empty. Even his hatred of "the Jews and the infidels" is something he holds out of duty instead of passion, and his cold-bloodedness makes him ideal for Hezollah's purpose.
To get close to the French president, though, he must not only go to France, but meet and prepare to take the place of Karim (Younesse Boudache), a Lebanese-French kid who will meet the president at a Christmas party. Karim is virtually Djilali's direct opposite, a Huckleberry Finn of the Arab slums that ring Paris, who hates no one and knows nothing of the plot.
Djilali must live with Karim for a few days, and the interaction between them is the heart of the film. Djilali at first regards Karim as frivolous, while Karim sees Djilali as hopelessly out-of-it. The next couple of days will shatter both of their worlds completely.
Sometimes it gets a bit confusing; shifts between Karim's French slum and Djilali's flashbacks are difficult to catch at first, and in my case I had to watch it a second time to understand everything. In addition, its low budget is evident throughout, and the adult actors are frequently dull and sometimes less-than-convincing.
But the film isn't about them. The main characters are memorable and extremely well-acted.
A spiritual teacher I know commented on the Virginia Tech massacre with the observation that Seung-Hui Cho had had no friends, and wondered would he have done what he did if he had. A similar question is brilliantly posed by "The Boy from Lebanon."
Watch it. You'll be glad you did.
In this case, "young" means very young; Djilali is a scant eleven years old when he's sold--quite literally--into terrorism. This is a more than a consciousness-raiser about the plight of children in war-torn areas--it's a thoroughly convincing story of the power of friendship.
Djilali (Teufik Jallab) is emotionally shattered, detached, and empty. Even his hatred of "the Jews and the infidels" is something he holds out of duty instead of passion, and his cold-bloodedness makes him ideal for Hezollah's purpose.
To get close to the French president, though, he must not only go to France, but meet and prepare to take the place of Karim (Younesse Boudache), a Lebanese-French kid who will meet the president at a Christmas party. Karim is virtually Djilali's direct opposite, a Huckleberry Finn of the Arab slums that ring Paris, who hates no one and knows nothing of the plot.
Djilali must live with Karim for a few days, and the interaction between them is the heart of the film. Djilali at first regards Karim as frivolous, while Karim sees Djilali as hopelessly out-of-it. The next couple of days will shatter both of their worlds completely.
Sometimes it gets a bit confusing; shifts between Karim's French slum and Djilali's flashbacks are difficult to catch at first, and in my case I had to watch it a second time to understand everything. In addition, its low budget is evident throughout, and the adult actors are frequently dull and sometimes less-than-convincing.
But the film isn't about them. The main characters are memorable and extremely well-acted.
A spiritual teacher I know commented on the Virginia Tech massacre with the observation that Seung-Hui Cho had had no friends, and wondered would he have done what he did if he had. A similar question is brilliantly posed by "The Boy from Lebanon."
Watch it. You'll be glad you did.