La graine et le mulet (2007)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Abdel Kechiche

Writer:

Abdel Kechiche (writer)

Release Date:

12 December 2007 (Belgium)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

It takes will, courage and determination to realise a dream. But most of all it takes family

Plot:

At the port of Sète Mr. Slimani, a tired sixty year old, drags himself towards a shipyard job which...

Plot Keywords:

Shipyard | Entrepreneurship | Family Pride | Belly Dance | Belly Dancer

Awards:

18 wins & 4 nominations

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Habib Boufares	...	Slimane Beiji
Hafsia Herzi	...	Rym
Farida Benkhetache	...	Karima
Abdelhamid Aktouche	...	Hamid
Bouraouïa Marzouk	...	Souad
Alice Houri	...	Julia
Leila D'Issernio	...	Lilia
Abelkader Djeloulli	...	Kader
Olivier Loustau	...	José
Sabrina Ouazani	...	Olfa
Mohamed Benabdeslem	...	Riadh
Bruno Lochet	...	Mario
Cyril Favre	...	Serguei
Sami Zitouni	...	Majid
Mohamed Karaoui	...	Lafita

Also Known As:

The Secret of the Grain (Australia) (Canada: English title) (festival title) (USA)
Couscous (International: English title)

Runtime:

France:151 min | USA:151 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | Arabic | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | France:U | Netherlands:12 | Australia:M | Brazil:14 | Sweden:7 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Chantier naval, Sète, Hérault, France

Company:

Pathé Renn Productions

Trivia:

Filming was supposed to start in summer of 2005 but one of the leading actors was ill, resulting in a major delay. Thus, filming actually started on 5 September 2005 and was still running by 16 January 2006. The set was on a boat in the port of Sète for a least 6 weeks from October to December, 2006. Outside temperatures were very low, as opposed to what they should have been if schedule could have been held. This led the production to set up large tents near the set (boat) with heating systems for the actors and extras to remain comfortable between takes.

Movie Connections:

References Finding Nemo (2003)

CousCous

Abdel Kechiche's tragicomedy is a film of contradictions and contrasts. It is both quiet and boisterous, with a script that is both understated and energetic, and which explores (among other things) how communities both accept immigrants, and yet remain suspicious of them.

Couscous follows sixty-something Slimane Beiji, a Tunisian-French shipyard worker in the French port town of Sète, played with reserved dignity by Habib Boufares. Despite being divorced, Slimane still spends a lot of time with his ex-wife and their extended family. The rest of his time is spent with his girlfriend and her daughter, who own a quayside hotel.

When Slimane is laid off, it comes as the last straw in a life that has become increasingly redundant. Left with nothing to lose, he hits upon the idea of opening a restaurant on an old boat. The project becomes a focal point for Slimane's extended family: his sons lend a hand with the boat's renovation; his girlfriend's daughter helps acquiring the necessary bank loans and official documents; and his ex-wife will cook the restaurants signature dish – the eponymous couscous.

The restaurant works as a symbol of the hopes and dreams of immigrants – how all they want is to integrate and work in their new community, whilst still retaining the culture and customs of their homeland. But it also signifies the duality of a community's attitude toward immigrants. During a party thrown to promote Slimane's restaurant, the guests all compliment their host and try their hand at a little Arabic; and yet, when Slimane's back is turned, they whisper amongst themselves that "he's not from around here." But Couscous really shines in its extended scenes of dialogue. At several points during the film we join Slimane and his family as they sit in kitchens or dining rooms and do nothing but talk. And it is a joy to watch. The script shows an eye for authentic dialogue, meandering through topics as diverse as racism in the workplace, the extortionate price of nappies, and using Arabic in the bedroom. The genuine performances from the supporting cast draw us further into these scenes, and the cinematography keeps us there. The camera squeezes between family members, getting the kind of intimate close-ups that give a real impression of a loud family dinner.

This light-hearted attitude, present in the early scenes, contrasts with a grimmer final third, in which situations get progressively worse. And as things get worse, family relationships start to break down.

This also reveals the film's ultimate irony. Slimane's family is a close-knit unit when the members each live separate lives. But when the restaurant brings them together, family unity dissolves and they resort to serious bickering.