Les Mains libres
| Les Mains libres | |
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 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Brigitte Sy |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Frédéric Serve |
| Edited by | Julie Dupré |
| Music by | Daniel Mille |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Chrysalis Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Budget | €1.64m |
Les Mains libres (The Free Hands) is a 2010 French drama film directed by Brigitte Sy. It stars Ronit Elkabetz, Carlo Brandt, and Noémie Lvovsky. It was released theatrically in France on 16 June 2010. It is a feature-length prequel to Sy's 2008 short film, L'Endroit idéal.[1]
Plot
Barbara (Elkabetz) is a filmmaker developing a film written and acted by prison inmates in Paris. She defies legal boundaries, unleashing a series of consequences when she forms a deep romantic relationship with Michel (Brandt), an inmate involved in the film project.[2]
Cast
- Ronit Elkabetz as Barbara
- Carlo Brandt as Michel
- Noémie Lvovsky as Rita
- Camille Figuereo as Chloé
- Adama Doumbia as Roel
- Denis Maréchal as Fifi
- Gurgon Kyap as James
- Abdelhafid Metalsi as Mouloud
- Xavier Legrand as Laurent
- Ahmed M'Hemdi as Bouda
- François Négret as Sergueï
- Alain Ollivier as Le directeur de la prison
- Sasha Andres as Marie-Pierre
- Dominique Frot as La juge
- Brigitte Sy as Le femme blonde
Reception
Thomas Baurez of L'Express, described it as "intelligent, gracious and humble.. a love story of the purest sense of the term."[3] Lucie Calet of Le Nouvel Observateur, continued that it is a "Greek tragedy" of "great dignity."[4] Le Figaro praised the depiction of the tangible reality of the film as well as Eliabetz' superb and dark performance, evoking traits of the Madonna.[5]
The film was warmly received by The New Yorker; "with calm and nuanced images, Sy captures emotionally unguarded characters locked in the gaze of prying eyes; with brusque, quiet action and incisive, tight-lipped dialogue, she sets a gripping plot in motion while keeping it close to the heart."[6]
References
- ^ L'Endroit idéal (2008) Uni France. Retrieved on 5 July 2010
- ^ New releases Cineuropa. 16 June 2010
- ^ Les mains libres, brillant ! (Studio Ciné Live) L'Express. 15 June 2010. French
- ^ Les Mains libres de Brigitte Sy Evene. Retrieved on 29 June. French
- ^ La femme et le prisonnier Le Figaro. 16 June 2010. French
- ^ Free Hands The New Yorker. Retrieved on 16 April 2011