Free Men (Les Hommes Libres)
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2_4STZ895g&w=520″]
In German-occupied Paris, a young unemployed Algerian named Younes (played by break-out star, Tahar Rahim) earns his living as a black marketeer. Arrested by the French police but given a chance to avoid jail, Younes agrees to spy on the Paris Mosque. The police suspect the Mosque authorities, including its rector Ben Ghabrit, of aiding Muslim Resistance agents and helping North African Jews by giving them false certificates. At the Mosque, Younes meets the Algerian singer Salim Halali, and is moved by Salim’s beautiful voice and strong personality. When Younes discovers that Salim is Jewish, he stops collaborating with the police and gradually transforms from a politically ignorant immigrant into a fully-fledged freedom fighter.
IMDb – 6.6 | Rotten Tomatoes – 64% | Wikipedia
EVERY once in a while you come across a movie that will actually challenge your knowledge about a common issue. In the case of Ismaël Ferroukhi‘s Free Men, the subject matter is one that had been portrayed in countless screen renditions – the Holocaust. Most of us think that we know a lot about the tragic historic event, but did you know that there very many Muslims in North Africa who helped save hundreds of thousand of Jews from extermination by the Nazi’s?
Unfortunately for Ferroukhi, there is very little documented evidence of this. Although the controversial director doesn’t claim to have based the script on real life events, there is enough anecdotal evidence (relatives of Jewish people who were saved) that I believe the story portrayed in this movie is plausible.
For those struggling with the pace of the movies at this year’s festival, you’ll welcome the much better pace, editing and storyline of this movie. Unlike some other films (see The Day I Saw Your Heart), this movie doesn’t dilly dally with scenes that don’t add to the story.
This movie is essentially a thriller but with a great script and a relatively controversial subject matter. Some outstanding performances by Tahar Rahim and Mahmud Shalaby are just the icing on the cake.
Heckler recommends that this is a must-see film (especially if you like political-thrillers). Preferrably see it at the Festival but even if you miss it there, get it on DVD.
