Les Misérables - English subtitled
In his explosive feature film debut, Ladj Ly stages an unconventional police procedural in Montfermeil, the same Parisian district where Victor Hugo set his landmark saga.
With an intense pace that doesn’t let up, LES MISÉRABLES shifts among several groups that call this quartier home, including the local youth led by Issa and three policemen on the anti-crime brigade. The newest to these streets is the cop Stéphane. While his plainclothes partners Chris and Gwada are more into playing at being cowboys, he approaches his job with an earnestness they have long lost. But quickly, and violently, their paths cross with Issa’s and Stéphane learns that the regular rules don’t apply. He must adapt – at any cost.
During a time of rising nationalism and right-wing politics in France, Ly’s film further reverberates with an urgency, as this isn’t merely a portrait of a community: it is a study of a nation on the brink. (source: www.tiff.net)