Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) (2010)
Average Rating: 6.4/10
Reviews Counted: 41
Fresh: 31 | Rotten: 10
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: 7/10
Critic Reviews: 15
Fresh: 11 | Rotten: 4
No consensus yet.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 610
Movie Info
After losing their family home in Algeria, three brothers are scattered across the globe. Messaoud joins the French army fighting in Indochina; Abdelkader becomes a leader of the Algerian independence movement; Saïd moves to Paris to make his fortune in the shady clubs and boxing halls of Pigalle. Gradually, their interconnecting destinies reunite them in the French capital, where freedom is a battle to be fought and won.-- (C) Official Site
Watch It Now
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (45) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (10) | DVD (3)
It's a big, bold film defined by a reserved passion, a stately style and strong performances from its three leads.
Top CriticIt's a ham-handed "issue" movie that preaches to the converted, but the mid-century threads look cool and those Coppola moments remain effective all these years later.
Think The Godfather II as told through France vs. Algeria tensions, and you have the essence of Rachid Bouchareb's vivid combo crime saga, action movie and historical drama.
"Outside the Law" is an epic film about Algeria's fight for liberation from France, with three outstanding performances and a grand, sweeping feel.
A gripping French-Algerian coproduction that makes Algeria's epic struggle for independence from France look like a gangster movie.
The movie is impressively made but finally feels rote and, at 138 minutes, outstays its welcome.
Ultimately, the common criminal has as much in common with the career soldier and the idealistic revolutionary . . . .
Outside The Law is a fairly run of the mill slice of historical action/crime-drama, but ironically one that has just enough story to sustain your attention, but all too little historical fact to truly deserve your it to begin with.
Part Western, part Godfather and with topical reflections of French colonialism meeting contemporary struggles for freedom in north Africa head-on, this is a thought-provoking film despite its over-ambitious nature.
Bouchareb makes subtle points here about the damaging legacy of colonial rule.
Exciting but one-sided, Bouchareb's film is a Melville-lite study of honour among dangerous men.
A little on the long side, it nonetheless keeps us involved in the deadly cat-and-mouse games between the Algerian freedom fighters and increasingly desperate police, and the performances from the reliable trio of lead actors are excellent.
Bouchareb is not, as Pontecorvo was, a political film-maker. He's a humanist with a strong feeling for personal tragedies and people caught up in the tides of history.
There is no doubt where Bouchareb's sympathies lie but his attempt to marry a political lesson with the structures of an action movie doesn't always work. Current events give his argument renewed force, however.
It's overlong and a little over-indulgent, but given current events in north Africa, there's an unanticipated resonance to it.
A self-consciously epic historical drama about the road to Algerian independence from France in 1962.
It's handsome, confident large-scale cinema, with a fascinating historical heart. Take no prisoners stuff.
A tiring, didactic manipulation of history.
Though the period feel and detail are excellent, the fascinating historical complexities become somewhat lost in a sentimental tale of bloody ties and brotherly duty.
That every political issue is covered from race to poverty to French oppression only makes the dish, like a pizza with an overcrowded topping, harder to keep piping hot.
Controversial and contended it may be in France, but whatever your stance this is another thrilling and thoughtful slice of history from the Days Of Glory director.
Bouchareb sketches this with clarity and skill, building toward a bloodstained ending that is technically happy (Algerian independence!) but feels deeply sad.
Sometimes a bit too episodic and stuffed with history to register emotionally but the three central performances carry the piece overall.
You need have no political or historical investment in the movie whatsoever to find it completely fascinating.
Audience Reviews for Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) yet.
What's Hot On RT
John Goodman's Best Movies
Woody Allen in San Francisco
Naomi Watts stars as Princess Di
Pictures from a zombie nation
Latest News on Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)
November 5, 2010:
Critics Consensus: Megamind Is Sometimes SuperThis week at the movies, we've got a reformed supervillain (Megamind, with voice work from Will...
Fresh Links
Featured
Movie: ID: 771209061 Title: Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) Release Date: 2010-11-03 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 4 Status: 1
Family Movie Mistakes
Even the best family entertainment experiences a few blunders now and then...
The Looks of Johnny Depp
To celebrate the star's birthday, BuzzSugar looks at the many faces of Johnny Depp.
10 Egregious Product Placements
Rolling Stone wonders if The Internship goes too far... then provides 10 examples of movies that did.
10 Bad Movies That Look Great
Sometimes even terrible movies can be beautiful; here are 10 of them, from HitFix.
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Featured on RT
- Total Recall: John Goodman's Best Movies 8
- In Pictures: Zombie Nation! 0
- Video Interviews with Cast & Crew of Monsters University 0
- Digital Multiplex: 21 & Over, Quartet, and More 3
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Jack the Giant Slayer and Quartet 23
- Box Office Guru Wrapup: Man of Steel Sets June Record 109
- Weekly Ketchup: Man of Steel Sequel In the Works 200
Top Headlines
-
Has Brad Pitt Ever Made a Successful Blockbuster?
0
-
Pacific Rim Set Visit Report
0
-
Shailene Woodley Cut from Amazing Spider-Man 2
0
-
Star Wars Casting Breakdown Reportedly Leaks
0
-
Universal Picks Up Dumb and Dumber To
0
-
Sam Taylor-Johnson Directing Fifty Shades of Grey
0
-
The Logan's Run Remake Has a New Writer
0
Foreign Titles
- Hors - la - loi (DE)
- Outside the Law (Hors la loi) (CA)
In depicting the violent struggle for Algerian independence, "Outside the Law" is as subtle as an explosion. Its main problem is in never going deeper than the historical record in sounding like a doctrinaire debating society at times when instead it should have been more interested in developing the various characters, especially as how they might have been affected by the casual racism of the era. Admittedly, the movie does improve as it goes on, and there is a nice subplot involving Abdelkader. Otherwise, what you basically have here is an old fashioned gangster flick with the FLN vs. MNA vs. the French authorities. This could not have been the intent of the filmmakers, could it? I mean I know the Algerian independence movement was baptized in blood but nobody asked if there could have been a better way?