Ouassini Embarek Movies
- 2005
Parisian authorities clash with the Front de Libération Nationale (FLN) in director Alain Tasma's recounting of one of the darkest moments of the Algerian War of Independence. As the war wound to a close and violence persisted in the streets of Paris, the FLN and its supporters adopted the tactic of murdering French policemen in hopes of forcing a withdrawal. When French law enforcement retaliated by brutalizing Algerians and imposing a strict curfew, the FLN organizes a peaceful demonstration that drew over 11,000 supporters, resulting in an order from the Paris police chief to take brutal countermeasures. Told through the eyes of both French policemen as well as Algerian protestors, Tasma's film attempts to get to the root of the tragedy by presenting both sides of the story. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2004
Four nameless people are brought together by crime and circumstances in this visually striking drama. A naïve young woman (Isild Le Besco) who studies art and lives with her wealthy family goes to a nightclub one evening and meets a mysterious young man of Moroccan heritage (Ouassini Embarek). The two are immediately attracted to one another, and spend the night together. Not long afterward, the woman gets a phone call from her new lover, who has disturbing news -- he's in the midst of a bank robbery that's gone wrong, and several of his accomplices have been shot by the police. The woman offers to hide the man from the authorities, and he soon arrives with the only member of his crew to made it out alive (Nicolas Duvauchelle). They spend the night hiding out with the young woman, and the next morning, the accomplice's girl (Laurence Cordier) joins the party as the foursome leave France for Spain. However, the thieves and their women don't take well to exile; personality clashes arise, and they discover that the stolen money is more readily identifiable than they imagined. À Toute de Suite was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" series at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Isild Le Besco, Ouassini Embarek, (more)
Loosely based on Jean-Pierre Melville's French film noir Bob le Flambeur, this heist film from director Neil Jordan (Interview With the Vampire, The Crying Game) stars Nick Nolte as Bob, an aging American thief living in the French city of Nice. Addicted to both heroin and gambling, Bob is in the midst of an extended personal losing streak when he rescues a new girl in town named Anne (Nutsa Kukhianidze) from her pimp. When the opportunity to steal a fortune in rare paintings from a Monte Carlo casino comes along, Bob hopes for a score big enough to let him retire from his life of crime. His only hindrances are Anne's man troubles and his nemesis, local police chief Roger (Tchéky Karyo). The Good Thief also features acting performances by Emir Kusturica (director of Underground and Arizona Dream) and Ralph Fiennes. ~ Tom Vick, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nick Nolte, Nutsa Kukhianidze, (more)
- 2003
Algerian filmmaker Abdelkrim Bahloul writes and directs the drama The Assassinated Sun, based on actual events in the newly independent Algeria of the 1970s. Following the country's liberation in 1962, the police didn't take kindly to gay poet Jean Senac (Charles Berling). Nevertheless, he was appreciated by a large liberal audience. The police also don't approve of writing student Hamid (Mehdi Dehbi) who writes and stars in a French-language play during a national theater competition. Senac, however, enjoys the play and proceeds to develop a friendship with Hamid. Even though the two were never publicly declared lovers, Hamid becomes the main suspect when Senac is found murdered. The Assassinated Sun won awards at the 2003 San Sebastián International Film Festival and the 2003 Montréal World Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Berling, Mehdi Dehbi, (more)
Adapted from a work by Paul Bowles and co-written by Andre Techine, this film -- directed by Benoit Graffin) -- is about the complicated relationship between a young up-and-comer and a silver-haired lothario. Driss is a jack-of-all trades type who sells fish from his car and moves furniture from one end of his hometown Tangiers to the other. His girlfriend is a free-spirited and wealthy European lass who runs an antique shop. One day, Driss becomes fascinated with Fouad, an old man who runs a rundown café by the beach. Fouad disdains his fellow Moroccans, calling them lazy, preferring the company of Europeans -- particularly, as Driss later learns -- young European women. Always on the make, Driss offers Fouad a business proposition -- to revamp his establishment and turn it into a proper restaurant with Driss as his business partner. He is later shocked and hurt to learn that Fouad starts to remodel his business but without Driss. Sending out his friends as spies, Driss learns a number of unsettling things about his would-be associate. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jacques Nolot, Ouassini Embarek, (more)
