Lila Says Lila dit ça (7/10)

by Tony Medley

This is one of the hottest, sexiest movies you will ever see that does not contain even a scintilla of nudity. The language is so frank that several elderly couples stormed out when I saw it in a theater.

Chimo (Mohammed Khouas) is a Muslim teenager who meets Lila (Vahina Giocante), a beautiful contemporary. She picks Chimo out of a group comprised of him and his three friends, flirts, and then asks him if he wants to look up her skirt.

Directed by Ziad Doueiri, this film captures perfectly how inscrutable women are to men. Chimo doesn’t really know what’s going on until it’s too late. Lila is in complete control, but, even so, she doesn’t get through to Chimo what she wants, to the detriment of both.

Lila is a beautiful woman who is completely frank in her conversations with Chimo, but is her frankness honest or fantasy? Regardless, she creates a fully clothed sexual tension reminiscent of Kathleen Turner in “Body Heat” (1981). Although Chimo is totally bewildered, he’s dazzled to the point that she dominates his thoughts and fouls up his relationship with his pals.

There is an economy to the script that is surprising when one considers that four people got writing credit. When a script is the result of such communal efforts, one doesn’t expect such quality. However, one should be prepared for language and drawings that border on pornographic.

Lila brings dissension not only into Chimo’s life, but in the life of his friends and her aunt, who also seems to get some sort of sexual gratification from Lila.

The leader of Chimo’s pack, Mouloud (Karim Ben Hadou) lusts after Lila from afar, which leads to problems.

I liked the way Chimo is so completely mystified and intrigued by Lila and what she says. There is a lot of talk here, but it’s still 89 interesting minutes. In French with subtitles.

July 2, 2005