Satan In France

I thought maybe I would slow down again since the weekend is over, and it has a little bit, but I still feel I'm in a writing mood. I'm not complaining really. I've been waiting to get back into this mood for a while now. I surprised myself by knocking out four reviews in just three days. Of course two of those had been about half way done already. Reviewing foreign made films, I had to watch at least one from France. Some of my more recent favorites have been out of France, so I was a little excited when I noticed that Sheitan (2006), which translates into Satan, would be one of the movies I would be watching this month. This one is a hard movie to write about though. Not because it will be hard not to talk too much about the plot, but because it is just an odd film.

A few friends are out having a good time, hitting the bars, when Bart (Olivier Barthelemy) gets into a fight on the dance floor after meeting Eve (Roxane Mesquida). He gets a bottle to the head and then thrown out of the club. He is joined by his friends Thai (Nico Le Phat Tan), Yasmine (Leïla Bekhti) and Ladj (Ladj Ly). Eve talks them into going to her place, out in the country since her parents are gone. When almost there, they get stuck in the mud and Joseph (Vincent Cassel), who Eve says is the house keeper. Things are a bit odd in this small country town, but what they don't know is that someone has made a deal with the Devil, and they have been included in that deal.

As I said above, Sheitan was a pretty weird movie. I got what was going on, but I kept feeling like I was missing something the whole time. It is one of those movies where you really need to pay attention to it. A little detail that can be over looked might become important later on. Writers Christian Chapiron and Kim Chapiron, who is also the director, often use things from the bible that aren't always easy to find. You may have noticed now that I have said that some of the names, like Eve and Joseph. There was a lot of things to make you think here. Things get even more odd when the group heads into the small town. I never found the plot confusing, which was a good thing. Eve says her dad is into making dolls, which can be seen all through the house. I knew this was going to play into the plot somehow, but I wasn't sure how.

Not a whole lot happens as far as moving the plot forward, or so it seems. What it seemingly lacks in this department though, it makes up for it in spades with interesting characters. While the friends are pretty run of the mill, the people we meet through Eve are where the interesting characters come from. You will not forget Joseph's large smile, or the girl who seems very easy and does something to a dog. It is too bad the friends aren't as interesting. Ladj and Thai are a couple, but Ladj is more the girlfriend on the side it appears. While she gets mad at him for always answering his cell phone, I was never sure if she knew she was his girl on the side. Bart and Yasmie are just looking to get laid it seems, with Bart always losing out there. I'm pretty sure this was done on purpose though in order for Eve and the others to stand out that much more.

Sheitan isn't very gory when it comes to French horror, but it does have some moments. The effects are good and the biggest surprise was seeing Vincent Cassel playing two roles. He also plays Joseph's wife. I don't care how much makeup they put on him, he still looks like an ugly woman. The acting was great, especially by Cassel. Not to say the other actors weren't as good, but it was really Cassel that stood out above everyone else. A little bit of nudity is thrown in, from both sexes, if that is important to you.

Sheitan is a movie you have to think about after the movie in order to figure everything out. I don't mind that so much in my movies, but I know it isn't for everyone. Normally I am all over movies like Sheitan, but there was something about it that I was never really able to put my finger on that kept me from loving it. I enjoyed it, and would gladly watch it again. Still, I didn't fall in love with it. I don't think it was too odd of a film for me. Sometimes that happens, but I didn't feel that here. Even so, I will highly suggest giving it a watch if you haven't already. Unless you hate these types of films, I don't see why you won't like it then. As some would say, just go with it.
3 out of 5 Never trust doll makers if you think you are in a horror film