Displaying items by tag: Kery James

STREET FLOW 2/ BANLIEUSARDS 2

France, 2023, 93 minutes, Colour.

Kerry James, Mohamadou Coulibaly, Bakary Diombera, Kadi Diarra.

Directed by Leila Sy.

Street Flow was a commercial success in France in 2019, focusing on the particular suburbs of friends, enclaves because of race, poverty, social issues. This was highlighted in its French title, Bainlieuards.

This sequel appeared four years after the original but the timeline is only two years later.

The first film focused on three brothers, the oldest involved in the drug trade, violent, a drug Lord, imprisoned. The middle brother is the good brother, studying law, achieving his goals. The youngest brother is still at school, something of a rebel, missing his father, acting up and, finally, taking the blame for his middle brother holding a gun, spending some time in prison.

And, there is always the strong presence of their mother, from a migrant family from Senegal.

Now the three brothers are reunited, many home domestic scenes, the oldest brother, played by Kery James, rap singer, who has written the screenplays, now reformed and involved in business. The middle brother continues his success in law, dissatisfied with the office work, wanting to appear in court, eventually getting his chance, getting a guilty man off the charges, something his mother disapproves of. The youngest boy is still in trouble, at school, with gangs, but something of a genial personality.

Their mother dies and there is an outpouring of grief amongst the community. The family goes to Senegal for her burial, finds the school that she financed, in need of roofing and repair which the three brothers contribute to, working with the locals. Clearly, there is a message here, pressed home with some insistence, of the value of going back to roots and traditions.

The older brother has a possibility for some kind of redemption in a relationship with one of his workers but is continually tormented by the past and betrayals. The middle brother eventually appears on television, defending a woman against police brutality and arguing the social cases. The youngest brother learns some of his lessons, is urged by a teacher to read Jack London’s Martin Eden which eventually bring him to some greater awareness of himself and his potential.

1. The impact of the original? Critical acclaim? Harsh criticisms? Significant social issues?
2. The title, those who lived in the particular neighbourhood, the flow of the street? Enclaves in Paris, racial, poverty, social? Crime, police?
3. The link with the original film, the story of the three brothers, troubles, crime, achievements? The absent father? The caring mother?
4. The Paris settings, familiar from the first film, the home and apartments, school, business offices, the law? The musical score?
5. Denba, two years later, being shot, recovering, going into business, his partner, asking for a raise and ousted from the car, the later double dealings? The official, the gift of the special box, demanding more money, cash, Denba’s revenge? The gangs, the drug dealing, the past, the connections, betrayals and shooting? And the bond between them, the revelation of his treachery, Abdel telling the story of the scorpion stinging the frog? Final revenge?
6. Soulymaan, his studies, legal achievement, working the office, impatient with the files, discussions with the superior, wanting to appear in court, visiting the prisons, is chance, the guilty man, the fine points of law and the acquittal, telling his mother, her disgust? His reaction? His relationship with Denba? With his younger brother, care for him, not revealing the expulsion? His later career, defending Sofia’s mother and the police brutality, the television debate and the point she was making about society and law?
7. Noumouke, age, his time in prison on behalf of his brother, at school, his music, listening, composing the lyrics, personal about his father? Late for school, surly, the fight in the classroom, expelled? His bond with his mother, the scenes at home? The bond with each brother? The teacher, urging him to read Martin Eden, reluctance, the story, gradually reading it, offhand, taking it to Senegal? The relationship with Sofia, the group on the bus, getting out, the bashing of the enemy, his having to escape, railing the crowds, the fight, Sofia firing the gun? Is not going home, finding his mother dead?
8. The community response to the death, the sons and their mother, the gathering, grief? Going to Senegal, the family, the rituals, the burial? The issue of the school, her financing it? The decision to mend the roof, the collaboration of the whole community, the building, the roof, the painting? The reality of village life, simplicity, walking the hour to get the water, the whole community? The effect on each of the brothers?
9. The return home, Denba and his revenge, the information, confrontations, shooting? The possibility of redemption, the relationship with the woman at work, the outings, the restaurant, her caution, her son, the final shooting?
10. The lawyer and his success? The young man, talking with a teacher, the lessons he learnt?
11. The film as drama? The film is social concern, characters dramatising social concern, their speeches? And solutions on the side of right, and going back to traditions?

STREET FLOW/ BANLIEUSARDS

France, 2019, 96 minutes, Colour.

Kery James, Jammeh Diangana, Bakary Diombera, Chloe Jouannet, Matthieu Kassovita..

Directed by Kery James, Leila Sy.

Street Flow, with its French title the slaying for those who live in the suburbs of Paris, is a project from celebrated singer/actor, Kery James. He has written the screenplay, co-directed and appears as the oldest of three brothers. He has a strong screen presence.

This film is one of a number of films from the 1990s which focus on issues in the outer suburbs of Paris, the enclaves, regions separated by rivers and highways, the poverty of the inhabitants and, especially, racial issues and violence, especially with the presence of migrants from Africa.

A pioneer in this kind of film was the 1995, La Haine, which starred Matthieu Kassovitz – and memories of that film with his appearing in a cameo here as a boxing coach. Another striking example was that by Romain governess, the highly stylised Athena. Street Flow was so successful that in 2022, there was Street Flow 2.

The basic story is not unfamiliar and there was some criticism of the film because of its obvious characters, treatment. However, there is still some power in the story of a widow and her three sons, the oldest gone wild, a thug, in prison, emerging as a leader in drug dealing and violence, the second son the good son, starting to be a lawyer, and the third son, younger, at first opting for following his older brother, suspended from school, robberies…

The film gives attention to each of the three brothers in the context of the suburbs, complexities with the need for help from the oldest brother to warn the youngest against a life of violence. In the meantime, the middle brother, studying law, is preparing for a public debate for credit, working with his rival, the touch of romance, personal difficulties, the long sequence of the debate about the responsibility of the state for the suburbs, his mother and his brothers all attending the debate.

Because the problems in suburban Paris continue, the film has relevance – so much so that there was the sequel.

1. The title, life in the streets, the suburbs of Paris, divisions, enclaves, race issues, gangsters, drug issues, poverty?
2. The locations, the suburbs, homes, streets, school, college, debating halls? Drug deals, centres? The musical score?
3. A story of three brothers, the bad, the good, the young man in the middle? Absent father? Caring mother? The moral dilemma for the teenager and his future, for the good brother and his professional future?
4. The mother, racial background, husband, the children, said history, her care at home, the domestic sequences?
5. The focus on the older brother, place in the family, absent father, alienation from his mother, the drugs, his leadership, henchman, relationships, violence? Time in prison? Personality?
6. The middle brother, age, studies, decisions, support of his mother, concerned about his younger brother? Study, qualifications and ambitions? The rivalry in studies, preparing the debate, going out with the girl, the relationship? The theme of the debate, the responsibility of the state, the suburbs, poverty, law and order? The ups and downs of the relationship, some alienation?
7. The youngest brother, age, experience, the models provided by his two brothers, the opting for trouble, his mother’s reaction, the support of the older brother, yet concern about him? Getting into trouble, crime, stealing? The older brother and his interventions?
8. Killings, in the street, the rivalries, gangs?
9. The middle brother, the symbolic encounters, on the bus, the thugs? And his being held up on suspicions by the police?
10. The boxing gym, the coach and his support?
11. The finale with the debate, rhetoric, political issues, the audience, his brothers been present?
12. The finale for the youngest brother, and the change of relationship to the older brother?
13. The tradition of French films since the 1990s to show racial and crime issues in the suburbs of Paris?