This autobiographical drama from novelist-turned-filmmaker Abdellah Taïa tells the melancholy story of a young, gay Moroccan man who neither fits into the communal life of his large family, nor later is comfortable as a college student in Paris. We meet 15-year-old Abdellah (Said Mrini) as a glum outcast, wandering the streets where he is picked up for sex by unknown men. At home, Abdellah seeks refuge from his mother's ill-disguised disgust by lingering in the bedroom of an older brother who is absent for long stretches of time. Abdellah's incestuous yearning for his sibling is yet another complication that sets him apart from his family, although his father is not above using Abdellah as sexual bait to obtain favors from local merchants. Salvation Army's second act finds Abdellah (now played by Karim Ait M'hand) becoming a lost soul in Europe, short on cash with nowhere to live before the school year starts. Abdellah's various relationships with older men are still without substance, in part because he remains emotionally hidden and unable to connect. Taïa's low-key storytelling effectively captures Abdellah's sadness and rage, serving up a powerful portrait of isolation, and a reminder of the deep human hunger to be loved. Recommended. (T. Keogh)
Salvation Army
Strand, 81 min., in French & Arabic w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $24.99, Mar. 31 Volume 30, Issue 2
Salvation Army
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