Review of Divines (2016) by Clem666 — 11 Jan 2022

Here we come. Another movie praised for losing itself into labyrinthine (sub)plots, unclear and undefined characters. There are so many relations remaining in the shadows, unexplained. Everything gravitates around the self-centered Dounia (embodied by Oulaya Amamra) without letting time and space for much reflection and introspection to breathe and develop. Events just go by and by balancing between violence, pseudo tenderness and inconsistencies.

'Divines' feels like Benyamina desperately tried to evoke raw and scraming injustices by magnifying the features of her experience that she projects on her main actress. The result is closer to a gloomy Grimm's tale than to an observation offering a reflection close to reality. Because you got it, 'Divines' is emotional. But does it have to be in this way, sounding so fake ? Did you think we needed those 105 minutes to realize reality is cold, dreaming feels great and that many things manage to make us collect what we deserve ?

Plus why that title ? Despite what you claim to have said I would have preferred 'Bâtardes' way more, which is closer to what 'Divines' actually made me feel and think. Here is my point : this movies feels violently torn between two realities, the one Benyamina had in mind and the one currently surrounding Parisian suburbs. Don't even need to pass primary school to realize violence almost always only generates more violence. But thank you for reminding us.

'Divines' surely deserves its 'gold camera' reward. Visually an conceptually it remains a beautiful movie. But its lack of poetry, meaningful sense and overall depth totally ruined my experience of it.

Je refuse que mes émotions soient engagées à ce point en l'honneur de la non-conclusion que ce film propose. Je serai ravi de changer d'avis lorsque je sentirai moins de prétention en ces efforts à offrir une réflexion ouverte, comme se voulait soi-disant l'être le choix du titre de 'Divines'.