At first I thought another attempt by the French to make a teenage comedy, a genre at which they are not very good. This story of young guys from the countryside who team up with street kids of African origin to avenge the misconducts of a young racist Parisian is a good surprise. It has some unforgettable hilarious scenes. The story is fast and has some provocative and unpredictable twists, including a powerful love tale. Formally the movie is fast paced with many set ups and cuts. The art direction is good, the stunts are OK with some brilliant physical comedy. The photography is sometimes stunning in the countryside, sometimes dull in the city. Once the movie starts, I found myself wondering what on earth is this, and then I got caught in the story. I laughed a lot alongside the few spectators in the theater, some of them seemed to be real hardcore fans of the movie. It has a style of its own, a bit unsettling at times, certainly unseen before. It's never boring, as some French movies can be. The movie benefits from a good score and excellent songs, lots of punk rock and reggae. So all in all it has a French Guy Ritchie's movie flair, with more love, more passion and less cynicism. Some young actors are stunning, the young Jim Carrey-like hairdresser who trips on too much ecstasy, the young fascist villain, the black roommate who loves grass, and the young and heartbroken Parisian girl are great. Among the vast number of guest stars look out for Richard Bohringer, I have not seen him that good for a long time. I also think it is Ticky Holgado's last movie.
