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Stylish but barely mediocre overall

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

With this last movie with Leila, i find the missing piece in the recollection of my friendship with « my » Leila. It's about her roots, in other words, the life in North Africa. I went there with all the family once and if their way of living was peaceful and pleasant. In this movie, I didn't recognize: we are stuck in a jerkwater village, lost in the arid mountains. Everything is hideous : the houses with no water, no electricity, the rags, the songs... The people are blind with tradition, the relationships are awful : women and men are segregated, abusive intimacy, lack of education and all this in the name of faith and culture. Sure, it's the ideal ground for an explosive drama. But the story isn't up to the task, the characters aren't interesting, the rhythm is terribly sluggish, so the watching is painful. If it's also as Manichean than « Synghe Sabour », the latter is much better and less suffocating.

I don't know what I'm voting on. Lysistrada by Aristophenes was much wittier, but the point of this movie is not wit.Perhaps I'm voting on the wonder that it was made at all. We in the west have a very different view of what Muslim countries should produce given our media.This film does not fit into that category. None that I've seen do. None proclaim death to the west. None want to commit murder in the hope of getting multiple virgins as a reward.None do anything but examine daily life. What was set in Toronto Canada. A second was set in the middle east on the Israeli Lebonon border, a third was made in New York and now this one from North Africa. All of them were gentle films that made comments about the human condition.And all including this one were well worth seeing. The film is a little long and the music is an acquired taste, but be patient. It will reward a patient viewer.

In a remote and primitive patriarchal village between the North of Africa and the Middle East, the land has dried and the women traditionally brings water from a distant fountain to their houses while the idle husbands drink tea in the bar.The educated Leïla (Leila Bekhti), who is the wife of the local teacher Sami (Saleh Bakri), begins a sex strike movement among the women, supported by the elder Vieux Fusil (meaning old flintlock) (Biyouna), to force the men to bring water to the village. There is a strong reaction from the brutal men, but they resist until the brave women achieve their goal. "La Source des Femmes" is another brilliant film by Radu Mihaileanu about a group of women of courage that are capable to protest against the status quo of their village through sex strike.Like other films of this magnificent director, the story is a combination of drama and comedy in precise doses to make the viewer think, and exposes the situation of women not only in Muslin countries but also in poor worldwide areas where ignorance still prevails. The beauty of the actresses is impressive specially Leïla Bekhti and Hafsia Herzi. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "A Fonte das Mulheres" ("The Women's Fountain")

A brilliant, delicate, delicious & poetic movie. The music (composed by Armand Amar) is superb. Radu Mihaileanu knows to picture the tragedy with a big touch of love and hope. The movie denounces the injustices that live the majority of women in the Arab countries, with a touch of beauty and comedy. Radu Mihaileanu shows us that to change the reality without violence is still possible in this violence world. Another jewel from this amazing director who surprised us in the past with incredibly beautiful and powerful movies such as "Train the vie" (1998), "Va, vis et deviens" (2005) and "Le concert" (2009). Antonia Tejeda Barros (Madrid, Spain).