Exploring similar territory to the later 2019 film, Les misérables and riots on the marginalised public housing estates on the outskirts of Paris, La haine follows three young male friends over a 24 hour period.
A strutting Vinz (Vincent Cassel – Black Swan, Mon roi) and best mate Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui – The Kite Runner, Wonder Woman) duck and weave around the estate, contributing to the destruction without being caught. Teaming up with local boxer Hubert (Hubert Koundé – The Constant Gardener, Die Farbe des Ozeans), the three journey through the power plays and harsh realities of the estate, with a little side trip to central Paris to collect money owed. The fact Vinz has in his possession the gun lost by a police officer in the riot adds to his sense of power.
Written and directed by 28 year-old Mathieu Kassovitz ( Les rivières pourpres, Gothika), La haine, shot in black and white, is a powerful statement of anger and frustration. A sense of hopelessness and powerlessnes pervades.
Rating: 82%
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