Like a tough-as-nails French version of Michele Rodriguez, Dounia (Oulaya Amamra) glides through Houda Benyamina's raw and unapologetic Divines in a style reminiscent of a middleweight fighter who's been knocked down way too many times by the tribulations of everyday life, yet she keeps getting up anyway. Dropping out of school in order to become a dealer for the local small time drug lord, she eventually meets an enigmatic and beautiful dancer, Djigui (Kevin Mischel), who challenges her physically and spiritually in ways she didn't think possible. Is there more to this thuggish life she's resigned herself to after all?
By the time the movie reaches its devastating final act, you'll likely to have a lump in your throat, all the while marveling at the raw talents of its young starlet. Divines may not have a happy ending, nor does it portray the world in a bright light, but there's no denying its tour de force power. As the great Roger Ebert used to say: "No good movie is too depressing; all bad movies are."
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