When thirteen-year-old Benjamin's mother goes to prison, he moves in with his Algerian father he 's never met who lives in the suburbs of Paris with his elderly parents.
A lovely boy even with his head shaved. But he's belligerent and foul-mouthed, and not in a cute way. An implausibly talented graffiti artist. A horrible, troubled kid with a father who's no help and a grandfather who's kind of a jerk. But they all have their own character arcs.
There used to be a cliche in American TV and film where the adopted kid gets spanked thus making him a true member of the family. This movie had a more violent version of that trope.
I had mixed feelings about it. It may have been too cinematic to be realistic or to offer much insight. Pure cinema has its limits. It may have needed more talk.
Available on Fandor.
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