'Fatima' is well-observed but too bland
Philippe Faucon鈥檚 鈥淔atima鈥� centers on its eponymous title character,聽played by Soria Zeroual, an Algerian cleaning lady in contemporary聽France who is also a single mother attempting to raise her two daughters,聽the rebellious 15-year-old Souad (Kenza Noah A茂che) and the studious聽medical student Nesrine (Zita Hanrot).聽
Fatima, who speaks very little聽French, works 'round the clock in well-appointed homes in Lyon and in a聽factory. When she is injured in a fall at work, she files for disability聽insurance, meeting with stiff resistance. Her life is not an easy one. Souad聽ridicules her for not learning French; her ex-husband contributes virtually聽nothing to his family. Her only emotional outlet is the diary into which聽she scribbles her hopes and fears. (The entries are heard as voiceovers.)
Well-observed and unassuming as this film is, it glides along rather too聽blandly. Part of the problem is that Zeroual, a non-professional who was a聽cleaning lady when she was cast, is inexpressive. No doubt Faucon was聽going for what Vittorio De Sica famously achieved when he cast non-actors in such neo-realist classics as 鈥淏icycyle Thieves鈥� and 鈥淯mberto D.鈥� 聽鈥� the authenticity of the actual. But what mostly comes through instead is聽just a blahness that pervades the entire movie. Grade: B- (Unrated.)
