The Code

In a certain respect, The Code is similar to the successful and critically acclaimed crime film A Prophet in that it portrays French society where the Arab, black, and Muslim elements now prevail over the original French ethnicity. While A Prophet was a departure from classic gangster films and attempted to observe the rise of an ordinary criminal somewhat uninvolved and in a so-called artistic style, The Code aims not for almost scientific examination of a certain phenomenon, but rather for a classic adventure story of two gangs clashing and the main character struggling with his own past and family relationships, which divert him from the decision to burn bridges for his criminal career. The fact is that he has a wife who is expecting a child and does not want to repeat his stay in prison. However, his younger brother also desires to escape from the hopeless existence in the Paris suburb and a career as a drug dealer presents a unique opportunity... Overall impression: 60% for a decently acted affair, albeit one not deviating from the genre's rules. (2010-10-27)

I was really surprised by Samy Naceri, who I’ve come to like from the Taxi series. His performance here was so good that I decided to look him up—which I kinda regret, because I found out the guy’s got some serious issues in real life (like stabbing someone in a bar... definitely not normal). But let’s focus on the movie. In The Code, Naceri absolutely kills it (in a good way), even if the ending didn’t quite land for him. As for the film itself, it’s a solid crime flick that knows exactly what it is and doesn’t try to be anything else. It’s gritty, the characters and dialogue are on point, and it feels way more authentic than a lot of the polished stuff coming out of Hollywood. It’s just a shame it’s a bit under the radar. (2010-09-27)