Lack of good storyline.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Of course you will think about Nicolas Winding Refn's PUSHER trilogy when watching this French crime flick. A semi documentary movie taking place in the suburb and poor districts of Paris, in a very accurate and realistic way, as SOUS X and CHOUF were. The tale of a petty armed robber who, after being released from jail, tries to make it thru drug dealing. It's not CARLITO'S WAY but who cares? It is really well done by film makers who know their job. Look out for Joe Prestia, one big heavy of the French crime movie industry, here as a rough cop who harass the young lead character to become a police informer. I am not sure that most of the actors are professionals, but that's even better. They speak and act so "real"... A must see but I don't think that there will be much audience for this one.