La Haine

Can it really be more than 25 years since Mathieu Kassovitz’s passionate take on life in the Parisian banlieues exploded on screens around the world and made Vincent Cassel an international star? The story of three friends, Vinz (Cassell), Hubert (Hubert Koundé), and Said (Said Taghmaoui) on a rage after the police have arrested and beaten unconscious is as vital now as it was then. If you haven’t seen it, don’t let this chance to watch it on the big screen pass you by. And, if you have seen it, take the opportunity to see it again in a beautiful restoration. ‘Kassovitz’s classic of banlieue rage has been rereleased after 25 years with a new urgency and relevance in the Black Lives Matter era. What comes across now isn’t the “hate” of the title, more the aimless, directionless comedy of three guys hanging around, bantering and squabbling about things such as which cartoon character is the most badass. It is touches like this which make you realise how very 90s it all is, similar to Tarantino and “Trainspotting” (with a nod to “Taxi Driver”’s “You talkin’ to me?” scene) but it also has a little something of the French New Wave... It’s a film about which I’ve had fluctuating views… Now I think it simply looks superb.’—Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian