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Composed yet forlorn, he demands the names of the perpetrators, and asks for calm.
In an instant, pandemonium erupts.
Its still the first shot of the movie.
The sides of the overpass resemble nothing so much as the ramparts of a castle.
Were eleven minutes in, and director Romain Gavras finally cuts.
At its heart are a trio of siblings on opposing sides of the conflict.
Abdel thinks he can work within the system.
His father is the great Greek political filmmaker Costa-Gavras, who made such monumental classics asZandMissing.
It has high, topical drama and unspeakable tragedy, but it also has magnificence and velocity.
In that sense,Athenais about more than just onebanlieuuprising.
Theyve purposefully mythologized the story, as a way to tap into something more elemental and visceral.
(As Karim, the young Sami Slimane makes the most stunning acting debut Ive seen in ages.)
They cluster their shields together in formation, like the ancient Romans and Greeks.
The people around her are carrying luggage, lamps, furniture.
We realize this isnt just an evacuation.
And we realize that the origins of this madness run deeper, longer, and wider than anyone realizes.
Why not let it burn?
she asks, furious.
You dont want it to burn, or to start a war, not here, he retorts.
Her chilling response comes immediately: The war, she says, has started.
