First Take: La Haine- retro French cinema is always amazing

Plot in simpler terms- a story about 3 boys who escape the banlieues of Paris for a literal thug life

I officially love French film now. This is one of the most beautifully shot and directed pieces I have ever seen. The performances are superb, with the 3 leads (Vincent Cassel, Saïd Taghmoui and Hubert Koundé) putting in the most convincing portrayal of 1990’s teenagers ever seen on film. Mathieu Kassovitz’ direction is very much on point, with the music of the film playing merely as an aid to the visuals on screen. I love this film, and I really want to see more English language output that uses La Haine as an inspiration.

Smit Rating: 5/5