Le Jeune Ahmed (2019)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 84 minuten
Alternative title: Young Ahmed
Country:
Belgium / France
Directed by: Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne
Stars: Idir Ben Addi, Olivier Bonnaud and Myriem Akheddiou
IMDb score:
6,6 (5.077)
Releasedate: 22 May 2019
Le Jeune Ahmed plot
Thirteen-year-old Ahmed is caught between the absolute ideals of his imam and the temptations of life. When he finally chooses a path and walks the path, he decides to kill his teacher. How can the sense of life overcome his desire to kill someone?
Reviews & comments
mrklm
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- 11629 messages
- 10041 votes
The Dardenne brothers deliver another masterpiece in this austere tale of teenage Ahmed [Idir Ben Addi], a boy whose radical views on Islam lead him to attack his tutor for teaching students Arabic through (modern) ) nursery rhymes. It sounds controversial, but the scenario leaves unanswered where responsibility lies for Ahmed's actions. Is it the Imam confusing Ahmed with ambiguous statements? Is it the division within the Muslim community over the role of the Qur'an in their children's language education? Is it the cousin who - or so it seems - has traded his family for the fight against the infidels? Or is there a strictly personal reason why Ahmed is completely absorbed in his faith and the associated rituals? With a few simple stage directions, Ben Addi portrays his character as someone who has completely closed himself off from his surroundings and his emotions. Ahmed avoids eye contact and there are only two moments in the entire film where he shows human emotions. The ending is chillingly exciting and also very gripping. Can not be missed!
Translated from Dutch · View original
BBarbie
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- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
With the exception of the first two, I've seen all of the Dardenne brothers' movies. I agree with the grunt that they seem to have lost their former magic. Unfortunately. After the disappointing previous film La Fille Inconnue (2016), this is another serious setback for the Walloon brothers. It is a remarkably flat registration of the radicalization of a young Muslim without any depth, without any explanation of how or why.
The ending , where everything seems forgotten and forgiven from one moment to the next, is completely cringeworthy. I am not a psychologist and I would like to believe that there is such a thing as shock moments, but I don't think it works that way.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Fisico
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- 10039 messages
- 5398 votes
It is not so easy to develop a plot around a complex theme such as radicalization in a short time frame of a film. The Dardenne brothers took the plunge and that doesn't always go smoothly. Le June Ahmed is a smooth film in which Ahmed's radicalization proceeds rather smoothly. The train of thought goes from bad to worse and even seems quite unbelievable.
The first assassination attempt I would still condone, but the second attempt looks more like a psychopath than a religious fanatic. It is therefore bizarre how the story ends, because Ahmed actually planned another attack on the teacher. That after his fall he suddenly repent ] was hard to accept without adequate explanation. Strange, but above all cheap turn.
Otherwise an honest film as we are used to from the Dardennes. Good acting performance from young Ahmed too.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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