Le Jeune Ahmed (2019)
Director: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Stars: Idir Ben Addi, Olivier Bonnaud, Myriem Akheddiou Runtime: 90 minutes
Synopsis: A Belgian teenager hatches a plot to kill his teacher after embracing an extremist interpretation of the Quran.
Performances: 8/10
Screenplay: 7/10
Editing: 7/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Screenplay: 7/10
Editing: 7/10
Cinematography: 7/10
Verdict: Directed by the legendary Dardenne brothers, "Le Jeune Ahmed", which translates to "Young Ahmed", tells the tale of a young boy whose mind was corrupted by religious extremists, pulling him further from his family and surroundings and closer to an inevitable point of no return.
Nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or, the movie acts as a devastating character study that explores the dangers of such mind games. You can't help but both hate and feel sorry for the main character of Ahmed, exceptionally portrayed by newcomer Idir Ben Addi. The pain he causes to his mother and teacher alike is heartbreaking to witness, and is rendered even more effective by the two actresses' performances, although brief, that truly left me feeling what they were feeling.
The narrative tackled is a sensitive one to say the least, but the Dardennes did it justice. They easily could've fallen into the trap of spoon-feeding us its themes and forcing them onto us, but they managed to make a subtle yet powerful study out of it. My only wish was for them to take it to another level, as it ultimately did feel a little too surfaced and straightforward. Enough for me not to be invested in it from beginning to end? Absolutely not.
Nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or, the movie acts as a devastating character study that explores the dangers of such mind games. You can't help but both hate and feel sorry for the main character of Ahmed, exceptionally portrayed by newcomer Idir Ben Addi. The pain he causes to his mother and teacher alike is heartbreaking to witness, and is rendered even more effective by the two actresses' performances, although brief, that truly left me feeling what they were feeling.
The narrative tackled is a sensitive one to say the least, but the Dardennes did it justice. They easily could've fallen into the trap of spoon-feeding us its themes and forcing them onto us, but they managed to make a subtle yet powerful study out of it. My only wish was for them to take it to another level, as it ultimately did feel a little too surfaced and straightforward. Enough for me not to be invested in it from beginning to end? Absolutely not.
FINAL GRADE: 8/10
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