SunnyHello Nice effects though.

ChicRawIdol A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Galina Film director Abdel Kechiche became so involved with the footage for the picture La Graine et le Mulet (The Secret of the Grain) which tells the story of a big dysfunctional family of Tunisian immigrants in the southern French port town of Sete that he could not part with a smallest parts of it. He dedicated the film to his father, and I would not be surprised to find out that the film characters with their traditions, everyday problems, struggles, hopes, and losses were written by Abdel Kechiche from his own family, and the story he tells was inspired by his own growing up. The Secret of the Grain is compelling and personal movie but Kechiche either should have taken another editor or let them use the scissors without reservation. The movie is long with many scenes practically begging of being significantly trimmed. It does not apply to all scenes. Some are amazingly acted, and I would not miss a second of the scene where young Rym (Hafsia Herzi) is trying to convince her mother Lilia to go to the big party in the final part of the film. A newcomer Hafsia Herzi is a born actress, and a good one. She is without a doubt a very promising talent with huge potential but her endless belly-dancing in the final was just that - endless and boring. I get the purpose of the scene but its length and the camera peering at Hafsia's belly for what seems hours, totally kills it.Kechiche shot the film in Cinéma vérité style, and while it works and lets us actually get to know the characters, overlong monologues and conversations often made me feel like watching a reality talk show which is a completely different genre altogether. The emotional and powerful monologue of Julia, the long-suffering wife of one of a male characters, would have been ten times more powerful had it been twice or even trice shorter. Yes, perhaps in reality the neglected young wife and mother would cry and complain even longer than the scene in the film lasts but we the viewers are grownups, we understand, we get it - don't hit us over the head.The film is a recipient of many Awards including four César Awards (Best Film, Best Directing, Best Writing, and Most Promising Actress for Herzi) and it was nominated for Best Editing which really surprised me. I think Kechiche deserved to be recognized and rewarded but I hope that he will be more critical with his future films. The film creator should not be afraid of cutting of all unnecessary parts of his work to let a hidden masterpiece inside it breathe freely.

zenophobe At first I was taken in by the almost sacred reverence the characters had for what the main dish of which the original title contains which is grain and mullet or fish couscous. Some of the characters and their relationships are truly compelling with moments that seem so real, you really feel like you truly are getting a glimpse of the lives of real people and their dreams and wants and flaws.But ultimately the movie drags on way too long and 2/3 through you really just want everything to end... the last third is just torture to watch because they try to extend the drama way too long and when you finally come to the release you've been looking for which is the end of the story, it is way to unsatisfying and there's not enough couscous to save it.

yamenj-1 Last week i went to see the movie La Graine et Le mullet. The movie started with close shots on the faces , which is good as a start in some movies especially the movies that emphasize family values but, it sticked to the faces as in porno movies to the level that you feel that your space perception is already invaded and you feel uncomfortable. Personally I felt like I wanted to go back to the last seat-line in the cinema just to be as far as possible from these annoying shouting characters who, obviously, and despite the good acting, succeeded to make me angry and feel like I wanted to shout back at them loudly, Heck off ! Why ,for god's sake, to repeat the word Couscous thousands of times !!! Why to shoot these endless scenes of uncertainty and emptiness !!! If the film was meant to be a satiric movie and ironically telling stories about foreign families in France ,, I would say the director was genius, because he succeeded to make me angry in a way that i can't remember my self getting angry in a cinema like that. But if he meant to shoot a real life image of these families in France ,, I wish i wouldn't have fell in that nest !! Orientalism-promoting+abuse in the sake of making money !! especially when it comes from an oriental director, in the west !!! I can imagine the success of this film in France and Europe… this is the way they like to see the orient ! and he supplied the best material for that ! endless scenes of shouting, belly dancing which made me not wanting to look at the screen anymore, full of shame !! The kids of the new generation in Frnace against the old one, endlessly teasing the father of the family.The editing was really bad. Long scenes. Interesting story and good actors but the emptiness prevails. Household super clichés and no proper ending after suffering for more than 2 hours ! My rate is 2-3 , the points are for the actors . A bad film .

mikielior This movie reminds one very much of Fellini and his family situations with one very big difference. There is a striking clash and interaction between cultures and social position. But beyond this obvious distinction there is a total difference in the perception of time noted with annoyance by many reviewers. This is a very important factor in the directors considerations-he doesn't give a fiddlers well hoop for the distressed Europeans not to mention the Americans who will find many parts long, extended, drawn out, whatever. Thank God this is not financed by American money and that the French gave him free rein. A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL FLICK.