Chouf

Chouf from Karim Dridi is a French crime/drama that takes place in the south of France, in Marseille to be more precise, a multicultural city known for its bad neighbourhoods. The kind of city you couldn't pay me enough to live in. The actors all looked very natural in that environment. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them knew that inside world very well. Foued Nabba for example is also known as Kofs, a French rapper. He took care of the catchy soundtrack as well. His physique is exactly what you could expect from a drug dealer from Marseille. The story is enjoyable to follow, looks realistic enough although at one point one of the extras was wearing a PSG football shirt, which is a big no-no in Marseille, and there is no way you could wear that unpunished over there. The rest looked very natural, youngsters riding their scooters, Choufs (watchmen in the drug business over there, all they do is looking out for cops and warn the hood of incoming danger) at every corner of the neighbourhood. So Chouf is just another movie about the drug problems in Marseille, a well made one with decent unknown actors.

In the line but better than the film SOUS X, released last year and also speaking of the real, actual daily life in the French ghettos, among drug dealers and their families. I did not expect less from Karim Dridi, a director specialized in such schemes, a courageous man speaking of real important issues of the French community, French nation. Poverty, racism, religion, this film maker is specialized in such stories and he is damn good in it. Here, you have a young man, a student who visits his family, who lives in the ghettos of the Marseilles suburb, one of the most dangerous of France. Suddenly his brother is killed during a gang war and our lead decides to get revenge. the plot is not unusual but outstanding if you consider the acting, mostly pulled by authentic natives of those ghettos, non Professional actors. A real brutal and pessimistic story, I warn you. Clichés are not avoided, I repeat, but that movie is really worth watching. Not for the squeamish.

Very classical revenge plot among dealers. But this one is made more authentic by the usual characteristics of Dridi's movies (in Marseille, with non professional actors). This is good craftsman work with decent entertainment value.