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Games of Love & Chance (2004)

Games of Love & Chance (2004)
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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

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Starring:
Osman ElkharrazSara Forestier, (more)
Director(s):
Abdel Kechiche
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Games of Love & Chance

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

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
117 mins

Complete Cast of Games of Love & Chance


Director(s):
Abdel Kechiche
Writer(s):
Abdel Kechiche
Producer(s):
Jacqes Ouaniche
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    James V.

    The prescient GAMES OF LOVE & CHANCE, under its original title of "L'Esquive," cleaned up at last year's Cesar awards (the French Oscars), beating out a hugely popular "The Chorus." Taking place in a low-income housing community (peopled by Algerians, other Muslims & a mixture of races) where a high school class is putting on a Marivaux play--and doing a surprisingly good job of it (French culture is not completely lost on these kids, wonderfully enough)--the story involves love, chance & class coming home to roost more subtly than you'd get from an American film, even an independent. Though the kids are "mouthy," fortunately they don't follow up on their many threats. Just how truthful all of it is, this middle-class New Yorker couldn’t say, but I was left with some hope for the kids & a warm feeling in my gut for the French educational system--way more than I have for ours here in the US. Anyone musing on last year's riots in France need look no further than this film for the reason.

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