KILLER KID is another in the series of French films from the TALE FROM THE ORPHANAGE series. The title of the film is unfortunate as is the graphic on the cover of the DVD: this is not a silly sci-fi comic book story, but instead is a serious, alarming, poignant, and timely true story of how in this age of Terrorism it is the children who make the 'best terrorists'.
The setting is Lebanon 1986 and Djilali (Teufik Jallab) is a young boy sold into the military by his uncle for $3000. and is placed in a military camp where he is indoctrinated, trained, taught to kill, to resist, and to hate infidels (Jews and Christians) because they are the enemies of the Arab Muslims (Djilali's father was killed by a Jew). The training camp is show in grim detail - six young boys trained to fight and prepare for 'missions' to assassinate the enemy. It is a competition for a particular mission in France and Djilali is finally chosen and sent to Paris where is to live with a 'family' setup that will prepare him for the final phase of the mission - to assassinate the President of France.
Once in Paris, Djilali is placed with a young Arab boy Karim (Younesse Boudache), a buoyant street kid who befriends his junkie girl friend Isabelle (Agathe de La Fontaine) and prefers skateboarding and rap music to affairs of political nature. Djilali is to observe Karim and learn the boy's every behavior. In the process the two boys gradually bond and the hardened Djilali softens to Karim's humanity and fun-loving outlook. The moment of truth comes when Djilali is informed that he is to pose as Karim in order to kill the President of France. The manner in which these two bonded boys resolve Djilali's dilemma calls forth a surprise that abruptly alters the tone of the story: the two boys are on their own against the adult world.
Director Gilles de Maistre has taken the story from a book by Claude Klotz as adapted by Miguel Courtois and has created a film that is at once intensely disturbing (the current use of children as suicide bombers in the war in Iraq makes this 1994 film eminently poignant today!) and ultimately satisfying in its ending. The two young actors are superb and the entire production aspects make this film riveting. By inserting a 'Prelude' and 'Epilogue' we discover that this story is based on fact, an aspect that makes it all the more disturbing. This is a film that should be required watching for all ages, all countries. In French and Arabic with English subtitles. Highly recommended. Grady Harp
