The Enemy

An O'Brother Distribution discharge of a Versus Push. production, in colaboration with Prime Time, Hepp Film. (Worldwide sales: Bac Films, Paris.) Created by Jacques-Henri Bronckart, Olivier Bronckart. Co-producers, Antonino Lombardo, Helena Danielsson. Directed by Nicolas Provost. Script, Provost, Giordano Gederlini, Francois Pirot.With: Issaka Sawadogo, Stefania Rocca, Serge Riaboukine, Dieudonne Kabongo, Tibo Vandenborre, Hannelore Knuts. (French, British, Moore dialogue)Celebrated Belgian visual artist and shorts filmmaker Nicolas Provost ("Stardust") takes up an intricate subject in the first feature, "The Enemy," although the frosh helmer tries so difficult to prevent cliches that his story becomes impenetrable. Story of the illegal African immigrant who strikes up rapport having a whitened lady in The city is mainly including, but too enigmatic to express anything concrete about either the couple's odd co-dependency or how they could be read as metaphors for North-South relations. Beyond sprocket operas searching for films having a topical edge, this really is strictly niche fare. Pic's most powerful moments are its first and last moments, which appear created as stand-alone shorts. An audacious opening Steadicam shot begins having a rather unusual physiological closeup on the nudist beach. Your camera then follows your body parts' owner (Hannelore Knuts, the helmer's g.f.) as she will get up and walks toward the ocean, where several African males, most likely shipwrecked, are battling in the future ashore. D.p. Franck Van Living room Eeden follows the lady until she rests her eye -- and also the camera zooms in on -- the face area and naked bust of the particularly well-built guy, Amadou (Issaka Sawadogo). Provost then finishes the lengthy take and cuts to some similar medium closeup shot from the naked lady, turning his opening right into a potent succession of dialogue-free images, full of the characters' curiosity, admiration as well as desire to have one another, but practically lacking of political tension. But as Provost abandons the sun's rays-drenched beach for cold-searching The city, and before pic's closing scene, he does not develop any similarly memorable moments of filmmaking. Using a tunnel sequence (which utilizes a mirror technique Provost employed better in "Papillon d'Amour"), auds are moved towards the Euro capital. Taken in flat, drably colored and antiseptic shots, this can be a city having a distinct insufficient warmth along with a constant feeling of hostility hiding within the shadows. Amadou works unlawfully in construction while trying to look after an ill guy (Dieudonne Kabongo) from his home country. As well as numerous other immigrants, they're permitted for some time to squat within an abandoned building controlled by Amadou's shady companies, a minimum of, until he's forced out. When Amadou spies a stylish businesswoman, he becomes enthusiastic about her and follows her around just like a madman -- rather than worrying about where he may sleep that evening or go to consume. Within the pic's numerous cases of misplaced humor, he finally introduces themself to her as "Mr. Obama," another businessman. Knowing by her title, the lady, Agnes (Stefania Rocca), is really a local, though this isn't borne out by Italo thesp Rocca's terrible delivery in French (the cadences from the language really are a mystery to her). Amadou/Obama's dependence on Agnes has stalker-ant characteristics, especially becasue it is never obvious whether he's taken with a severe situation of amour fou or thinks that bedding this specific wealthy lady can get him ahead in existence. Since he isn't a lot of talker, and Provost offers very little else, Amadou remains a handsome mystery guy. Agnes, meanwhile, is stuck inside a relationship together with her dull technocrat husband (Tibo Vandenborre), so she's not against some hot sex having a well-built black guy, though she's quick to reject his advances when he wants more. This can lead to the pic's final, especially murky stretch. Though Sawadogo's a charming enough artist never to let auds weary in the character, his actions are without motivation, therefore it is tough to finally care, and impossible to see anything much deeper in to the couple's rapport. Newcomer Provost clearly struggles using the demands of keeping an extended narrative, when it comes to storytelling in addition to pictures, with from time to time awkward cuts between creating shots and closer sights. Unmemorable score does not offer auds any clues.Camera (color, HD), Franck Van Living room Eeden editor, Nico Leunen music, Sacha Galperine, Evgueni Galperine art director, Francoise Joset costume designer, Nathalie Leborgne seem (Dolby Digital), Senjan Jansen line producer, X assistant director, David Oeyen casting, Michael Bier, Kadija Leclere, Nicolas Ronchi. Examined at Venice Film Festival (Horizons), Sept. 4, 2011. (Also in Toronto Film Festival -- Discovery San Sebastian Film Festival -- Zabaltegi Pearls.) Running time: 93 MIN. 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