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The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Its a very multilayered film. It looks rough and row, however, its just a directing trick, mostly because its about kids, and young actors. However, its a complex social drama, where the most important stuff are on the margins of the script, yet quite visible.Its about the troubled, tenage poor kids from the typical suburb blocks of flats whose life looks very simple, although at the same time full of hardships, and difficult situations: lack of money, conflicts with other kids, fathers in prison, etc. There is a lot of anxiety and aggression in their dialogues, although only in the end of film we see the pressure they live under, and race and class struggle that exist in French society. All the jovial representations of the class differences from Marivoux' play, used in the film, get quite a rustic, hyper realistic and graphic shape in the actual context of the kids' lives. What is in background of the story is a bit unspoken social and ethnic background of the girl, Lydia, who is blond, while everyone else is clearly of African or Asian ethnic origin. Lydia might not even be a "European" French, she could be a Muslim too, just her white skin, light hair and eyes, imply certain "trouble" for possible love plot in the film. For some reason, she is different, and often called names by other jealous girls or guys. On the other hand, she also seems quite aware of her distinction. The irony of the fim is that they are all French, just they have not been treated like ones. So the kids in the film are even half-supportive of Lydia and Krimo's potential dating, since they all grew up together, so they still dont apply racial and class distinctions. They do try to see it as an ordinary coupling, and give it a romantic dimension. However, the harsh reality of their lives will come between them. Krimmo himself is a depressed and almost mute guy who desperately tries to be with Lydia. In the end we suspect that its not even love what drives him, but more like some kind of desperate move, desire for escape, wish to bring a difference in his life, with a clear expectation that he would be either turned down by Lydia, or exposed to some other trouble. Krimmo is suspiciously lifeless, which is explained by his father being in jail. However, he is obviously depressed kid, with desperate idea of reaching something extraordinary in his life, which will always stay out of his hands. All female roles in this film are outstanding. Script and directing are very efficient, in spite of long scenes of disputes and conflicts. Kechiche is apparently very good at getting the maximum from his actors. This is highly recommended film.

I think this film deserve theirs Césars for a lot of reasons. The actors are excellent, especially Sara Forestier who's not from suburbs and has learned all words of this 'particular' vocabulary. The screenplay is very well, finally that's a play in a play ("le Jeu De l'Amour Et Du Hasard" written by Marivaux). This film shows almost the reality, is sometimes funny. The french teacher is disgusting, she is exactly what the director wants to fight : a society were there is no hope for an inhabitant of suburbs. As to her, Kremo is an idiot because he will never be Arlequin, he 'll never be in love and he doesn't even know how to play it. The film shows how wrong it is... The low point of the film is the sound, very bad, I think they wanted to be more realistic but that could be better, and realistic. This film is well to see, everyone can learn something.Even for french the language is hard to understand(sometimes we would have wanted subtitles!). I don't think the foreigners (particularly the ones who watch only blockbusters) will enjoy, or/and understand. But this freshly film is worth to be seen with attention.

L'Esquive is the coming (and going) of age story about Krimo, a resilient, emotionless, passive teenage boy living in a French ghetto. He is surrounded by his macho violent homeys, confused girlfriend, conniving teenage girls and a beautiful actress named Lydia, played by what may be the Olson Twin's long-lost triplet.It plays out like the French "Kids", without the poignancy. It's tedious. In fact, it gives new meaning to tedious. These shrill teenagers are constantly at each others throats. The few moments of calmness were not enough to hold people in there seats at the Vancouver Film Festival. After 40 minutes of hormonal bickering, the theater was half full.There is not enough story or character to keep this going. In needs to be taken back to the editing room and trimmed of down 40 of its 120 minutes. No doubt this would leave you with a short tale, but it's as long as this thin story needs to be told. Many scenes are used to explain what we've just scene. One-topic dialogue runs for as long as 10 minutes, in pointless circles until an opening is made for another superfluous scene.However I will say that the drama is very realistic and plays out in a natural ways that is commendable. But for story and entertainment's sake, things need to be cut, sharpened, explained and unexplained.As the end neared, I could feel my ears trembling, knowing that whatever the climax was, it would be ten times more shrill and irritating as the rest of the script. But I was wrong. Not only was it quieter and tolerable. It was void of a climax, at all. Not only is there no character change, but there seemed to be an adamant effort to avoid this natural convention at all odds. Even of it could have saved the movie.There are short moments of charm, wit, humor and a minuscule amount of beauty. However, L'Esquive is nothing you can't find at your local Blockbuster.

I saw L'Esquive at the San Francisco Film Festival on April 24. I was prepared for a sappy coming-of-age romantic movie but with the first dialogue which whisks you up before even the titles are shown and doesn't put you down until the end of the movie, I got something much more fulfilling. This is one realistic and well-performed movie. The director got some fantastic acting out of an almost 100% amateur cast. Very realistic and fast-paced. It is not a perfect movie, but it is very energetic and definitely a must-see.Well worth seeing and probably the highlight for me at the festival. Hopefully it will screen in the US.