Samba

Un drame social prévisible sur un homme noir simple et généreux qui a du mal en tant qu'immigrant illégal à Paris. (25/05/2015)

Pour ça, les Français sont sacrément doués ! Une comédie triste avec des éléments dramatiques et un puissant message social en filigrane, c’est un genre dans lequel les Français excellent et ont quelques longueurs d’avance par rapport aux autres. Le duo Toledano-Nakache croise à nouveau la route d’Omar Sy et réitère ici son succès avec l’approbation tant de la critique que du public. Ne sachant pas du tout à l’avance de quoi le film allait traiter, j’ai bêtement supposé – et pendant bien cinq minutes – que ça allait porter sur la danse. Ça ne m’aurait pas dérangé, mais l’histoire d’un immigré sénégalais du nom de Samba m’a suffisamment ému et comblé par la qualité de la performance de ses acteurs et par les blagues loufoques que faisait çà et là un Tahar Rahim qui est d’habitude très sérieux. Et quand vous regardez ce film avec des gens que vous aimez, le moment passé n’en est que plus intense. Une fois de plus, je n’ai pas été déçu par ma « nation filmique » préférée. (23/03/2015)

The first major disappointment from the duo of Omar Sy and Eric Toledano (The Intouchables). While the film nicely depicts the fact that immigrants have it tough in France and Omar Sy can be as good as he wants, no one has mercy without papers. There is very little humour, but there is no boredom. If you're in the mood for a topical social drama that's well acted and filmed, it's fine to watch. 65%. (06/11/2017)

Nakache and Toledano excel in telling a story of a random encounter of two completely different people with ordinary problems and connecting two completely different worlds in a way that will leave you with a really good feeling after you watch their movie. It was just as perfect as The Intouchables and you’ll fall in love with this movie just the same. There might be one problem – Samba is even more topical nowadays than it was when the movie came out, even worldwide. When I saw this movie, an outrage was storming through Europe about the refugees that were trying to get from the Near East to the West and the media made it very topical; even more topical than before, and it was already quite topical since this movie was talking about it. But a lot of people get annoyed by topical issues and I’m sure it will be the same with this movie. However, as for me, I must say that Omar Sy and Tahar Rahim have showcased such strong acting performances that it was hard not to love their refugees. In the end, you realize that these issues aren’t about groups of people, but about individuals. But you can’t separate, so we’ll always talk about them as groups. (29/06/2015)

This is ultimately a daring endeavor by Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano. Once again, they reach the viewer through unobtrusive music by Ludovico Einaudi, score points with their topicality, and most importantly, rely on the overwhelming charisma and disarming smile of Omar Sy. And miraculously, they emerge victorious again. Their intangible weapons, thoroughly tested by now, have lost none of their firepower. Although the entire situation is once again appropriately lightened and in its essence a bit tough to swallow for those working in the social sphere, I am speechless. This is an attempt to tell a story about an issue that the overwhelming majority of people will laugh at, be moved by, and shake their heads at, but ultimately forget once they leave the cinema. And one cannot help but root for such an attempt. (10/04/2015)