Sabrina Ouazani Movies
Men of faith find their pacifist beliefs put to the test in this drama from filmmaker Xavier Beauvois, inspired by a true story. Christian (Lambert Wilson) is the leader of an order of Trappist monks living in the hills outside Algiers. The community outside the monastery is almost exclusively Muslim, and the monks have worked to foster understanding between themselves and their neighbors; they observe Muslim traditions, are well versed in the Koran, and provide medical and charitable assistance to the townspeople. The monastery is an oasis of calm and peace as Algeria is caught up in a civil war, with forces led by Muslim extremists leading a bloody campaign against the nation's rulers. Christian and his monks do not wish to take sides in a conflict they believe is immoral; they refuse the protection of the military while also denying aid and comfort to the insurgents. The monks' efforts to remain outside the war, however, have ugly consequences when they're taken hostage by a band of Islamic revolutionaries. Des Hommes et des Dieux (aka Of Gods and Men) was an official selection at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2009
- NR
A man tries to make sense of his relationship with the woman who gave birth to him in this drama co-directed by Claude Miller and his son Nathan Miller. When he was five years old, Thomas Jouvet (Vincent Rottiers) and his brother Patrick were abandoned by their mother, Julie (Sophie Cattani), without any clue of why she chose to walk away from them. While Thomas was adopted by a caring couple, Yves (Yves Verhoeven) and Annie (Christine Citti), young Thomas (Maxime Renard) became an angry and rebellious kid, and he found himself shipped off to a boarding school after too many fistfights with his classmates. Deciding he needs to confront his mother about what happened when he was five, teenage Thomas slips away from school and manages to obtain Julie's address, but when he sees her, he's too shaken to talk and simply walks away. It's not until Thomas is a grown man working in an auto repair shop that he works up the nerve to introduce himself to Julie in hopes of making his way back into her life, though by this time she has another young son whom she's looking after on her own. Je Suis Heureux Que Ma Mere Soit Vivante (aka I'm Glad My Mother Is Alive) received its world premiere at the 2009 Venice International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vincent Rottiers, Sophie Cattani, (more)
Love and life pose dilemmas for a handful of friends in the City of Lights in this romantic drama from French filmmaker Cedric Klapisch. Pierre (Romain Duris) has enjoyed a successful career as a dancer performing in Parisian nightclubs, but when he's diagnosed with a serious heart condition, his doctor warns him that the strain of his work could kill him. Pierre must reinvent his life, and as he ponders his future and his mortality, he turns to his sister, Élise (Juliette Binoche), a social worker and single mother, for help. Élise is facing some life changes of her own; she's tired of being alone, and has developed an infatuation with Jean (Albert Dupontel), a grocer who sells his wares in the city's open-air market. But Jean is recently divorced and is still preoccupied with his former wife, Caroline (Julie Ferrier). Pierre also finds himself falling from afar for a lovely college student named Laetitia (Melanie Laurent), but he has a rival for her affections in Roland (Fabrice Luchini), one of her professors, who is considerably older than her. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Juliette Binoche, Romain Duris, (more)
- 2007
A lonely man's infatuation with a mysterious beauty leads him into a dangerous game in this thriller. Georges (Jules Werner) works as a conductor on a train that makes a daily run from Luxembourg City to Bettembourg; Georges is a nice guy but painfully shy and he's never had much luck with the opposite sex. One day, Georges checks the ticket of an attractive young woman from Algeria named Yamina (Sabrina Ouazani) and is surprised to see her riding the train again the next day. Yamina tells Georges she's being followed by strange men who mean to do her harm, so Georges helps her find a safe compartment on the train, and allows her to stay in a cottage he keeps for vacations. Georges falls in love with Yamina and when she mysteriously disappears, he sets out to come to her rescue; however, it doesn't take him long to discover she leads a more dangerous life than he ever imagined, and he's unwittingly put himself in jeopardy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jules Werner, Sabrina Ouazani, (more)
A young tough develops a taste for the classics when he falls for a girl who wants to be an actor in this drama from France. Krimo (Osman Elkharraz) is a streetwise teenager who doesn't have much to say to either his mother (Meriem Serbah) or his girlfriend, Magali (Aurelie Ganito), and plays tough guy with his friends. But Krimo has a creative side he doesn't share with everyone which he inherited from his father, and one day, after Magali has given him his walking papers, Krimo sees a pretty girl named Lydia (Sara Forestier) who is arguing with a shopkeeper over the price of a dress. Krimo impulsively lends Lydia the money to pay for it, and learns that she's going to wear it in a school play, a classic drama by the 18th century author Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux. Intrigued, Krimo tags along to Lydia's rehearsal, and finds himself becoming increasingly fascinated with both the girl and the play. Lydia proves to be something of a taskmaster to work with, and when the show's leading man makes noises about dropping out, Krimo takes his place. However, not everyone is convinced Krimo has what it takes to pull off the role, including Lydia's best friend, Frida (Sabrina Ouazani). A box-office success in France, L'esquive (shown in North America as Games of Love and Chance) was a multiple-award winner at the 2005 Cesar Awards, the Gallic Academy Awards. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Osman Elkharraz, Sara Forestier, (more)
