Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi) (2010)

Critic Reviews

• Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

  It's a ham-handed "issue" movie that preaches to the converted, but the mid-century threads look cool and those Coppola moments remain effective all these years later.

• Peter Howell, Toronto Star

  Think The Godfather II as told through France vs. Algeria tensions, and you have the essence of Rachid Bouchareb's vivid combo crime saga, action movie and historical drama.

• Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic

  "Outside the Law" is an epic film about Algeria's fight for liberation from France, with three outstanding performances and a grand, sweeping feel.

• Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

  A gripping French-Algerian coproduction that makes Algeria's epic struggle for independence from France look like a gangster movie.

• Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle

  The movie is impressively made but finally feels rote and, at 138 minutes, outstays its welcome.

• Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

  "Outside the Law" is at the very least a superior action film, in which the action sequences are plausible and grounded in reality.

• James Plath, Movie Metropolis

  Ultimately, the common criminal has as much in common with the career soldier and the idealistic revolutionary . . . .

• Sam Bathe, Fan The Fire

  Outside The Law is a fairly run of the mill slice of historical action/crime-drama, but ironically one that has just enough story to sustain your attention, but all too little historical fact to truly deserve your it to begin with.

• Graham Young, Birmingham Post

  Part Western, part Godfather and with topical reflections of French colonialism meeting contemporary struggles for freedom in north Africa head-on, this is a thought-provoking film despite its over-ambitious nature.

• Alistair Harkness, Scotsman

  Bouchareb makes subtle points here about the damaging legacy of colonial rule.

• Sam Wigley, Total Film

  Exciting but one-sided, Bouchareb's film is a Melville-lite study of honour among dangerous men.

• Philip Concannon, The Skinny

  A little on the long side, it nonetheless keeps us involved in the deadly cat-and-mouse games between the Algerian freedom fighters and increasingly desperate police, and the performances from the reliable trio of lead actors are excellent.

• Philip French, Guardian [UK]

  Bouchareb is not, as Pontecorvo was, a political film-maker. He's a humanist with a strong feeling for personal tragedies and people caught up in the tides of history.

• Derek Malcolm, This is London

  There is no doubt where Bouchareb's sympathies lie but his attempt to marry a political lesson with the structures of an action movie doesn't always work. Current events give his argument renewed force, however.

• Steve Rose, Guardian [UK]

  It's overlong and a little over-indulgent, but given current events in north Africa, there's an unanticipated resonance to it.

• Sukhdev Sandhu, Daily Telegraph

  A self-consciously epic historical drama about the road to Algerian independence from France in 1962.

• Mark Stafford, Electric Sheep

  It's handsome, confident large-scale cinema, with a fascinating historical heart. Take no prisoners stuff.

• Tom Seymour, Little White Lies

  A tiring, didactic manipulation of history.

• Damon Wise, Radio Times

  Though the period feel and detail are excellent, the fascinating historical complexities become somewhat lost in a sentimental tale of bloody ties and brotherly duty.

• Nigel Andrews, Financial Times

  That every political issue is covered from race to poverty to French oppression only makes the dish, like a pizza with an overcrowded topping, harder to keep piping hot.

Read all 23 critic reviews