Samba - I had to see this film after all

Quite often we form opinions without having sufficient data. Sometimes we even make decisions not having good enough basis for it. Recently, I experienced a life illustration that assuming without good reasons for it may prevent good experiences or positive things to happen. Then we need coincidences to help us to get on the right track.

My story is about a coincidence that helped me to so I got to see a great film – Samba.

I have written lately quite a bit about the Sydney French Film Festival. I thought I finished the subject at least for some time. The festival is a yearly event and I am sure I will not stop liking French films so there is big probability that I will be impressed, amused, fascinated by some of them and write about my observations.  It happened earlier than I had expected. Samba, a film of illegal immigrants in France was not on my list of films to see, I was not interested in the subject and I did not see the film the festival time. However, it became popular with Sydneysiders and has been screened in my local cinema for quite some time now. I was firm in my decision of not seeing it. The prolonged screening even annoyed me as few times I wanted to see a movie at a particular time and instead it was Samba shown then.

Yesterday my friend and I were going to see a movie. We selected Boychoir with Dustin Hoffman and Kathy Bates and were very much looking forward to see the film. We bought the tickets and put ourselves in the queue to the cinema number 2 as we were instructed by a cashier. We were chatting waiting for the cinema to open for our 3:30 screening. When the time came we went in, showing our tickets to the usher.

After long and boring ads the film eventually started. It started with a wedding reception held in a fancy restaurant. It did not fit in with my idea of the start to the film Boychoir. Something was not right here. Was it the right film? No it was not. It was Samba! 

We decided to stay and watch it to the bitter end. This did not happen as it was nothing bitter about the film. Life of illegal immigrants is not fun, but the film was. It was a comedy with a good story line, charismatic actors and a lot of warmth. I greatly enjoyed it and was grateful to the mishap of landing up in the wrong cinema. Yes, we went to a wrong cinema, our intended film screen 5 minutes earlier and the cinema was just around the corner.

I am so glad I have not missed the film after all. It is a funny, warm and well acted film.

One of my favourite actresses ugly in a beautiful way, Charlotte Gainsbourg, plays an executive suffering from a burnout and doing social work while recovering from her problems. This way she meets a group of immigrants and social workers of different social background to herself. The main character Samba is played by handsome Omar Sy, a man with a warm, shy smile and great physique. Finesse of the film’s sense of humour is wonderful, plenty of sharp one liners make one watch for what is coming next not to miss any funnies. My favourive scene is a party of the illegal immigrants and social workers. There is a lot of camaraderie between the lot of them, after initial reserve in behaviour. An older social worker dances to a Bob Marley song. Surprisingly, she is skillful at this type of dancing, she obviously loves the moves, so does the audience of the party and the film. There is also some great dancing from Charlotte Gainsbourg. This comes as a surprise to a viewer, but there are many angles to the character of Alice. A complex woman, the type I like.

                                     

That I have seen Samba in spite of my initial reluctance was a gift of coincidence. I am grateful and hope that I will not miss too many great experiences due to my bad judgment. Of course I am bound to miss some but I promise myself not to be too stubborn and set in my ways.

By the way, I recommend Samba to all who like French films and finesse of French sense of humour. It has 8 out of 10 in my book.