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since 1997 | by maryann johanson

Rebellion (L’ordre et la morale) review

Tue Aug 27 2013, 01:30pm | 3 comments

Rebellion L'ordre et la morale yellow light Mathieu Kassovitz

Sporadically exciting French action drama about a 1988 hostage crisis drags more often than it should.
I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

Who is a terrorist, and who is a freedom fighter? This based-on-fact action drama about a 1988 hostage crisis in a tropical French colony, when local separatists took over a police station, focuses tightly on procedural as military negotiator Mathieu Kassovitz works to extract those captured while doing to his best to avoid further radicalizing the locals. Perhaps the focus on the procedure is too tight: the film often gets bogged down in it. Some bits are quite good, however: Kassovitz, delivering more as star and director than as writer, gives us a chaotic jungle battle scene that presents the illusion of a seamless single take; and running motifs of politics and media threatening the negotiations are deftly handled. A bit of judiciously editing was needed, perhaps, to tighten it all up.


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watch at home

Rebellion (L’ordre et la morale) (2013)
UK/Ire release: Apr 19 2013

BBFC: rated 15 (contains strong threat, violence and language)

viewed in 2D
viewed at a private screening with an audience of critics

official site | IMDb | trailer
more reviews: Movie Review Query Engine | Rotten Tomatoes

If you’re tempted to post a comment that resembles anything on the film review comment bingo card, you might want to reconsider.

  • BrianJKelly

    I’m loving your Quick Takes! Little bites of MaryAnn review goodness!

  • Thank you. This is just me finally conceding that I simply will never get around to writing full reviews of everything I see. Instead of waiting for the imaginary moment that will never come when I will get to those full reviews, I might as well just get my basic reaction out there. And to give you guys a place to talk about these films, too.

  • BrianJKelly

    Excellent! I am pleased. Yay not letting the perfect get in the way of the good! I’d rather see short initial reactions than no reactions at all because you don’t have time to do everything. =)

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