Les Misérables (2019)

Freer calls the film tense, explosive, urgent, and a powerful debut. He praises its vivid sense of place and the kinetic, suspenseful action.

Turan finds the film culturally relevant, dramatically compelling and terrifyingly real. He especially praises its crackling authenticity and its refusal to offer easy solutions to complex problems.

Sexton calls it an important, remarkable debut that deserves a Cannes prize. He praises its immediate, compelling filmmaking and deft pacing.

Parkinson calls the film an exceptional, combustible debut. He praises its charged blend of social drama and thriller, likening it to Do the Right Thing and Training Day.

De Semlyen calls it a nuanced, energized, hard-hitting crime drama and spiritual heir to La Haine. The review praises its crackerjack French police-drama execution.

Ehrlich finds the film powerful despite a sometimes clumsy route to its incendiary conclusion. He praises Julien Poupard’s tactile, kinetic cinematography and highlights the young Issa’s bloodied face as an indelible image.

The critic calls the film a potent, vivid work and a cautionary tale about oppression and unrest. He praises its social realism while noting that the lion-cub plot point feels over the top.

Lazic finds the film gripping and largely successful, though occasionally contrived. She praises its urgent warning about violence and unrest in the banlieue.

The standfirst presents the film as an explosive debut that heats up the competition. It singles out the riotous Paris banlieues as its setting.

The review finds the film a subtle, accessible portrait of social tensions, though its nihilistic ending sharply undercuts its earlier hope. It praises the insider perspective and striking drone photography.

Mintzer finds the film an impressive, engrossing, and provocative debut, though it is heavy-handed and predictable at times. He praises its expressive, authentic depiction of Montfermeil and the tense filmmaking, while criticizing the forced, generic third act.

Lodge finds the film an urgent, stylish social thriller, though its focus on the police leaves residents underdeveloped. He especially praises Ly’s vivid, intimate depiction of the community and the film’s tense scenes of unchecked authority.

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Lane finds the film gripping and socially unsettling, though he is unsure whether its explosive final act serves it well. He singles out the plausible, lightly comic street-level scenes for their nerve and realism, and the final image for its bleak force.

Bradshaw finds the film compelling as a cop procedural but less effective when it turns into a violent issue drama. He praises the pre-credit World Cup sequence and the street-level atmosphere, while faulting the riot’s loss of subtlety and dramatic force.

Mowe finds the film assured, vital and notably authentic, and sees Ladj Ly as a significant new talent. He especially praises the chance it gives residents of the housing estates to tell their own stories.

The review finds the film socially perceptive and formally assured, despite a familiar thriller setup. It especially praises Ly’s empathetic, humorous portrayal of the community and its factions.

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