devonblue I just love the way the directors have knitted such a twisted tale of racial intolerance and prejudices and yet without offending anyone baffles me. A perfect blend of humour and pathos, wonderfully acted this film had me hooked from start to finish, it made me laugh out loud and yet made me think of the way I perceive different races and religions. Sadly only the French could make a film of this quality. it could be possible in my opinion to compare this to Welcome To Dongmakol another excellent film which looks at the stupid belligerent attitude of countries and it's peoples, the pointlessness of hatred and inbred prejudices. Wonderful film which I thoughtfully enjoyed.10/10

Emil Bakkum There is something double-edged about Le nom des gens. The film glorifies a cosmopolitan attitude, but its narrative is also typically French. In fact, the universality of the republican lifestyle is more or less the heritage of the French Revolution. Whereas Anglosaxon republicans accept a pluralist society, the French are suspicious that pluralism will weaken their state. In Le nom des gens the cultural diversity of the main characters is enormous. There are Muslims and Jews, bourgeois and parochial persons. However, they all try desperately to ignore their own cultural origins. Muslims marry bourgeois and Jews. They eat, drink and do everything that God forbade. Etcetera. As the events unfold, it becomes clear that the suppression of their past eventually affects their mental wellbeing. Time is adamant (the very first insect). This leads to several moving scenes, in particular for the Jewish woman who as a child witnessed the holocaust. And there is the tragedy of the Algerian Muslim, who witnessed the colonial war. The main characters stem from the militant left-wing community, which in France after the Revolution has always been quite sizable. Right-wing persons and nationalists only enter as targets for a Muslim woman, who tries to convert them by having sexual intercourse. She searches for love, companionship and sympathy, preferably at three different addresses. Her father feels ashamed: "Are there not enough Muslims in town?" (joke). Although the mental problems of the characters are overwhelming, in general the film manages to keep a light tone. Many of the events are ironic. And the love story is dynamite (take a flea out to diner). In addition, you have to be open-minded, and for instance accept that a "normal" woman leaves her house without noticing that she forgot to get dressed. Put women's libbers behind bras. For some reason Lionel Jospin, say the French Al Gore, who managed to come third in the presidential elections, even behind the nationalist candidate, also plays a minor role. Overall, Le nom des gens can be recommended. However, it is wise to buy a version with at least French subtitles. Don't hesitate to leave a comment. I love it.

Luis Angel Gonzalez I decided to give this film a try based on the reviews that considered it to be an excellent film, and I'm really glad I did. I wasn't expecting much from this film, as I'm not really fond of romantic comedies; most of them nowadays are terrible and full of cheesy, clichéd and nonsensical stuff. This film, however, was a blow of fresh air to me, it completely blew my mind with its originality.The photography and the camera-work are really amazing; they help to contemplate things much better, and the plot is not the clichéd romantic plot you would expect (maybe in some parts it is, but for the most part is really innovative, at least in my opinion). I for one liked the short scene and sequence where the main characters of the story are sitting on a bench and then the camera moves onto a nearer bench where they appear again, but this time as kids. Then the camera goes back to the other bench where they are grown up again, and then one more time moves onto the bench that represents them as kids. That was really an amazing sequence, showing their actual selves on one side and their past selves on the other.As to the acting, they are very well executed. The revelation here would be actress Sara Forestier; what a great actress and beautiful woman she is, she delivers a really convincing acting. Maybe that was a little bit biased on account of her nudity in this film, but she still is a great actress nevertheless. I would actually compare this kind of filmmaking with that of Amelie's. They are very different movies, though, but it is the closest style of filmmaking I can compare it with.Finally, It is appropriate to say that this film is not for everyone; it is a really different kind of filmmaking. Although if you're looking for something fresh, you should give this a try, you won't be disappointed.My Score: 9.1/10

chaz-28 You will never change your political opponents' minds by arguing with them, but what if you have sex with them? Baya Benmahmoud (Sara Forestier) lives her life by this mantra. She is an ultra-leftwing idealist who sleeps with right wing fascists to convert them politically. She even keeps a scrapbook of her successful conversions; most of them are now some sort of shepherd. While listening to bird-flu expert Arthur Martin (Jacques Gamblin) in a radio station one day, Baya bursts through the studio's door and argues with him on the air that if you can't trust ducks, then what is this world coming to? This is a very amusing argument and also makes for a humorous lead character introduction.Any other film, such as an American one, would construct Arthur as a rock solid conservative and make it Baya's quest to convert him. Ah, but this is an intelligent French film. Arthur is a socialist and while not nearly as leftwing as Baya, he proudly states he voted for Lionel Jospin. A warning: if you do not know who Lionel Jospin is, you will miss an amazing and funny scene. The Names of Love takes a sharp turn from where the film was leading the audience. It is not a romantic comedy, well, not all the way. Much screen time is devoted to Baya and Arthur's respective families and to what extent they identify themselves as French citizens.Baya's father is from Algeria and vividly remembers the French Army shooting many of his relatives in the war. Her mother is a hippie who thinks everything non-French is fascinating which is why she marries a man with the last name Benmahmoud. Arthur's folks at first appear to be the exact opposite of the first couple and are shown boring and set in their specific way of life. However, there is a lingering secret past with Arthur's mother which is not necessarily hidden from view, but takes on more of a role as the film progresses.The Names of Love starts out at a fast clip with both leading characters taking their turns talking directly into the camera about their youths and where they imagine themselves on the political spectrum. After a half hour or so, this starts to taper off and a more somber and contemplative mood takes over what was almost a comedic farce. Arthur and Baya are shown interacting with each other's unfamiliar cultures and testing their respective boundaries. The script is whip smart and expects a lot from its audience, especially from its non-French audience. I give a high mark to how intelligent and probing this film is, but be wary of the shift from light comedy to more serious introspection.