Comme un Aimant

This clichéd but heartfelt ensemble drama, about a predominantly North African group of twenty-something petty criminals and loose enders living in the Panier region of Marseilles, is co-directed the musician Akhénaton, who also stars. Music is key: the film is well cut to a varied range of rap, soul and international tracks, highlighting themes of alienation, racism, police harassment and generational difficulty. The worse threat, however, comes from the local Mafia; and when retribution is visited on the group following an unpaid loan the response is apocalyptic. Attractive performances and Akhénaton's obvious affection for the subject cover for the script's dramatic deficiencies.