Ennemis intérieurs (2016)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Well-made, but a bit too long, short has a man (Hassam Ghancy) trying to gain French citizenship but the interrogator (Najib Oudghiri) believes that his past might have ties to terrorism. The Algerian man calmly tries to explain why he would make a good French citizen but soon it becomes clear that the two are going to have a tense battle.
ENNEMIS INTERIEURS is a well-made French film that picked up a Best Live Action Oscar-nomination and it's easy to see why. The film is certainly a good one that manages to be quite intense at times even though there's really nothing but two men sitting at a desk talking and having their wills battle one another. Director-writer Selim Azzazi does a very good job at keeping you caught up in this back and forth battle between the two men where tempers often get the best of them. Obviously there's a political message on display here but thankfully the director never beats the viewer over the head with it. It certainly helps that both actors are so good in their roles and it really does seem as if you're watching an actual interrogation between the two.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Well-made, but a bit too long, short has a man (Hassam Ghancy) trying to gain French citizenship but the interrogator (Najib Oudghiri) believes that his past might have ties to terrorism. The Algerian man calmly tries to explain why he would make a good French citizen but soon it becomes clear that the two are going to have a tense battle.
ENNEMIS INTERIEURS is a well-made French film that picked up a Best Live Action Oscar-nomination and it's easy to see why. The film is certainly a good one that manages to be quite intense at times even though there's really nothing but two men sitting at a desk talking and having their wills battle one another. Director-writer Selim Azzazi does a very good job at keeping you caught up in this back and forth battle between the two men where tempers often get the best of them. Obviously there's a political message on display here but thankfully the director never beats the viewer over the head with it. It certainly helps that both actors are so good in their roles and it really does seem as if you're watching an actual interrogation between the two.