Perfectly adorable

Fantastic!

Expected more

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Refreshingly engaging film portraying identifiable characters that remind you of that exhilarating, uncertain time of life where the innocent torments and thrills of life are everything. (i.e. before we began relating vicariously to the super-hyped Hollywood glam-stud-whore superhero formula of most popular film.) This is a young, edgy, honest film for people who appreciate subtle artistry when portraying the human drama - sexuality, morality and culture. Giocante is sublime as a provocative, if naîve, beauty as she pursues the humble charm, honest good looks and integrity of Chimo, the object of her exploration.Great soundtrack by Nitin Sawhney.This one will come back and tickle you for days.

A young woman moves into an Arab community in France and is drawn to a young man who dreams of becoming a writer. What does Lila say? Lila talks a lot, but she doesn't really say anything. Just about all she does is talk dirty to the Arab boy. She practically begs him to have at her, but he's too timid to make a move. It is not clear why the slutty, blonde-haired Lila has moved into the neighborhood when she's not Arabic. Her behavior is also unexplained. Why does she invite a stranger to peak under her dress? And what type of twisted relationship does she have with the aunt with whom she lives? There are no clues given because the filmmakers are clueless.

In a poor Arab neighborhood, the nineteen years old Chimo (Mohammed Khouas) lives alone with his mother and is a talented natural writer. His school teacher offers him the chance to study in Paris, inclusive with a letter of recommendation, but his mother can not afford and Chimo stays. His three best friends are completely losers and scoundrels. When the shy Chimo meets the gorgeous and sexy new-arrival in the ghetto Lila (Vahina Giocante), who lives with a deranged aunt, his gross friend Mouloud (Karim Ben Haddou) falls for her. However, Chimo becomes close to Lila, who seduces him with her sexual games, telling him about her perverted sexual experience. The inexperienced Chimo falls in love for her, but he does not know how to declare his love for the girl. When Mouloud sneaks and listens to a private conversation between Lila and Chimo, he concludes that the girl is a whore, with tragic consequences."Lila Dit Ça" is a wonderful coming-of-age low-budget movie, with a simple, touching, sensitive, consistent and real love story and magnificent direction, screenplay and performances. The tale shows also the lack of perspective of the youngsters of the lower classes in a First World Country and the effects of ignorance and prejudice. The unknown Mohammed Khouas is an excellent actor, and as Lila says, has very expressive eyes. Vahina Giocante is also great and very beautiful, with a perfect chemistry with Mohammed Khouas. I highly recommend this movie for viewers that wish to see a beautiful and sad romance. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Lila Diz…" ("Lila Says…")

I had the chance to screen this movie in a Hungarian festival. A colleague of mine said a lot of good things of this movie so I eagerly wanted to see it. And as always I was ambushed due to someone's enthusiasm.How to say... I expected something extremely staggering drama and what I got was a staggering drama but not extremely. From the first time Lila started talking about sex the whole story became obvious. And it got even more obvious when Chimo's friends were shown more and more.In the first few minutes I got scared because there were some allusions to racism, especially the conflict between the Muslim and not Muslim due to the 11th of September 2001. But it stayed in the level of discussing how difficult is for arabesque to get a job. So it didn't turn out to be a political "horror". LUCKILY! So let's see... we have Chimo an arabesque 19-year-old boy who most of the time just hangs around with his 3 best friends. They steal, harass girls, drink, smoke, whatever a couple of hopeless, sort of outcast guys can do. Chimo is a bit different from them but still he calls them his best friends. And he writes. Novels. And apparently he is talented and gets the great chance to get out of this misery and go to Paris learning to be a writer. But he turns it down, he thinks that this huge L wearing on his forehead can't be removed. He thinks his fate is sealed by being an arabesque in France. And that's what his friends hammer in his brain too. They obviously don't want him to break out. They don't manage it either. Then we have Lila, a beautiful blond girl with gorgeous blue eyes who lives with her weird aunt.So they meet. While Chimo's friends are trying to pique Lila's attention, Lila and Chimo immediately become ... well ... sort of friends. As long as the definition of friendship bears some j***ing off on a moped or some exhibitionism, or talking about and strictly just talking about sex. But these things can make a relationship even more beautiful and unforgettable, can't they? So when they meet they talk a lot. More like Lila talks, especially about her juicy dreams and filthy reveries. She even shares verbally her experiences and sexually exalted, sometimes pervert ideas with Chimo which obviously drives him crazy. But perhaps this makes Chimo feel this stronger and stronger love. He doesn't want to hang around with his friends anymore, he works in order to pay the bills. He tries to change. But his friends are not fond of this metamorphosis, and they are getting more and more aggressive. The fact that Lila refuses their "overtures" and she is not even willing to speak with them is fuel to the fire. The bomb explodes...Summa summarum the movie is good. Very good, but nothing surprising happens in it. Still it is a beautiful love movie. I liked a lot that Ziad Doueiri eliminated the physical parts of sex (apart from this ominous hand job, but that doesn't count) and he focused on verbalism, and emotions which gives the peculiarity of the movie.The ending is sad and happy at the same time, I found it perfect. A destroyed first love but hope of a better life.Oh ... the music is brilliant. I suspect that people already got used to the fact that most of the time in french movies the producers abuse them with french songs (which is not always bad, but sometimes quite annoying - sorry about that). This movie is an exceptional. Frankly saying it has a compelling soundtrack.