Genre: Drama
Runtime: 114 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Reda Kateb, Hélène Vincent, Bryan Mialoundama, Alban Ivanov, Benjamin Lesieur, Marco Locatelli, Catherine Mouchet, Frédéric Pierrot, Suliane Brahim, Lyna Khoudri, Aloïse Sauvage, Djibril Yoni, Ahmed Abdel Laoui
Description: The story of two men (Vincent Cassel, Reda Kateb), educators of children and adolescents with autism.
Review: Jewish Bruno and Islamic Malik are best friends. One runs a facility for autistic children and the other an organization with underprivileged teens and trains them to become support workers. The successful French director duo Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano (“Intouchables”) wanted to make a documentary about this duo, but thought the story was too good, so they decided to make a movie about them. It's easy to relate to both men and to feel empathy and emotion throughout the film. Like “Intouchables”, you feel how they play with you emotion, but “Hors Normes” is more reluctant. It’s feel more personal, which is explained by the fact that the directors are friends with the men being portrayed in this film.
“Hors Normes” is a powerful indictment of the way in which society treats a group of its most difficult inhabitants: severely autistic young people. Children and young men and women with parents at their wit’s end because institution after institution refuses to take care of them. Some facilities simply can’t because of protocols, some just won’t. But protocols are not what these kids need, only customization will improve their lives. Bruno and Malik did say yes to those parents, they were the only ones that had attention for them and they dedicated thei
r lives to taking care of them and making their life better. Bruno works with them and makes sure that they get places to work and fit in. Malik takes on problematic teens that grew up in bad neighborhoods and trains them to take care of the autistic kids.
There is hardly a plot, but this would have damaged the film. Bruno and Malik and all the people they work with live through a succession of small problems that need to be solved. But nothing goes smoothly. And then there is inspection, if their organization lives up to their rules. Because they don’t have a permit.
There are little moments of happiness, when something goes right for a change or when they realize how impossible it seems what they are doing. This organization really exists and they did have two inspectors over. They aren’t portrayed as villains though, the film is too clever for that. Both leading men are really strong, but Vincent Cassel is the most memorable. It’s one of his best performances.
“Hors Normes” is not a forced feel-good film, but it does make you feel good and it will make you laugh and cry.
Rating: 4,5 / 5
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