Directed by Abdel Kechiche
L'esquive is the French word for a feint in boxing - dodging, ducking, evading, making oneself scarce
 In the film it applies both to Krimo (Osman Elkharraz), a quiet and reticent young man with a father in prison, and Lydia, his extrovert, self confident class mate (Sara Forestier, who gives her thoughts on the film below), for whom he forms a passion. The setting is the banlieus of Paris, not here as dark and underprivileged as in La Haine, just the sort of housing that millions live in throughout western Europe. Very little happens in the film - a school play is being put on, relationships form and break up, but mostly the young cast talk talk talk, expressing themselves or failing to, forming alliances and rivalries, keeping up appearances, in a hermetic world where everyone knows everyone else's affairs.In contrast to this is the stylised world of the 18th century Marivaux play they are performing, full of irony, where no one says what they mean. Forestier has a fantastic screen presence as the self-assured young star of the class, who finds it as easy to slip into the exaggerated sophistication of Marivaux as it is to slip the 18th century dress over her jeans. But when it comes to the knotty problem of other people's feelings, things don't come so easily. How far you have become involved with this likeable group is measured in the gut reaction when an unexpected police intervention towards the end treats them like objects, and you almost feel it is your face being slammed down on the car roof, your own pathetic pockets being emptied.  Immediately after this scene we go to the infant school play, an earnestly recited fable about the birds of the air: ‘And so they flew over valleys and hills, but when they landed they realised they were in the same place. Some had gone astray on the way and some were lost, but they realised they had only made the journey into their own selves...'The poignancy of the downbeat ending leaves an impression which lasts long after the film. At 2 hours it may be a little too long, but I never found it less than a pleasure to watch.
Sara Forestier talked about the film:
 Before we came together to make the film none of us knew each other, but we became really close, like a family. It was really hard work. After loads of takes you'd be saying - oh, I'm tired! - but Abdel would say - No, carry on, carry on! Almost all of the dialogue was closely scripted - people always ask me if it was improvised, but practically none of it was. We just rehearsed and rehearsed until it felt like our own words. In fact I remember one scene where I'm surprised and I sort of stutter - well, after it I said - Oh, that worked well didn't it? And he said, yes, exactly as in the script - and I'd even forgotten myself that I had originally learned the words - they felt like my own!
One of the main points Abdel is trying to bring out is that all language is poetic and beautiful - you've got the very formal slowly paced language of Marivaux, and the street slang of the kids, with its import of Arab words and staccato sounds - they're both musical in their way, different ways of expressing feelings.
What I hope for this film is that we have conveyed the excitement and passion of life, and that the audience feel it too... London Film Festival, October 2004 www.imdb.com/title/tt0338977/ |
