Café au Lait

In his debut feature, award-winning French writer/director Mathieu Kassovitz (Hate) looks closely at racial relationships. Pregnant Lola (Julie Mauduech) has two lovers: Jamal (Hubert Kounde), an affluent black law student, and Felix (Kassovitz), an irresponsible Jewish punk. When Lola won't tell them who the father is, Jamal and Felix must put aside their cultural differences or risk losing Lola and the baby. A tale of tolerance, friendship, and the overwhelming power of love, Café au Lait remarkably combines humor and tenderness with refreshing, imperfect characters. Recommended. (L. Russo)[DVD Review--May 17, 2005--Koch, 91 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, $29.98--Making its first appearance on DVD, 1993's Café au Lait boasts a decent transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, but no extras beyond trailers. Bottom line: even without extras, this solid film is still recommended.]