Victim of a head trauma that leaves him uninhibited, Moussa is cared for by his brother Riyad.
From Little Lieutenant to Indigènes via Roubaix, une lumière, Roschdy Zem is recognized for his exemplary acting work. But less for his achievements, which are distributed sparingly on Quebec soil. That may well change with Mine.
Unlike his previous creations Omar Killed Me and Chocolat, his cinema takes on a more personal and even autobiographical propensity. Inspired by an accident of which his own brother was the victim, the actor and filmmaker analyzes the inner workings of a Moroccan family unable to communicate properly, who spends their time talking without really listening to each other. Exchanges of great intensity that quickly become inflamed: script co-written with Maïwen (Polisse, Mon roi) obliges.
What emerges from the story is the need to stop to really take an interest in the other. From a tragedy with unfortunate consequences is born the reconciliation of a clan that has for too long forgotten how to love each other. This rebirth becomes possible between these two brothers and it is a pleasure to watch, even if the result turns out to be perfectly predictable, sometimes even didactic.
The realistic and unvarnished staging is entirely at the service of the characters. They are numerous to gravitate in this universe, perhaps too many for what their excellent interpreters have to put in their mouths. Renowned for his boiling interiority (especially on Un fils, which won him a César), Sami Bouajila plays a touchingly vulnerable Moussa. As Riyadh, Roschdy Zem captivates with his magnetic presence. After the hilarious The Innocent and meanwhile the luminous Other People’s Children, the comedian is currently finding some of the best roles of his career.
Together, they illuminate this feature film full of humanity, imperfect when its intentions are revealed without subtlety in broad daylight, but eminently endearing and satisfying. Especially since it ends in the most beautiful way. After so much talk, it is the bodies that have the last word. Those who sway to the music – more precisely to a hit by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons – in order to bury the hatchet. The family is (re)united again, and the title Mine takes on its full meaning.
