Abdellatif Kechiche's French film La graine et le mulet, known in English as The Secret of the Grain, was the winner of multiple Cesar awards in 2008, including Best Film and Best Direction. A film set in southeastern France, it tells the tale of a Franco-Tunisian family.
'Slimane (Habib Boufares) has worked in the same shipyard job for over 35 years, when his growing dissatisfaction prompts him to try to open his own restaurant. His dream seems unbelievable, but his contagious conviction and persistence work their way into the hearts of his loyal but dispersed family; the four children from his first marriage, his ex-wife, current girlfriend, and her bright, outspoken daughter, Rym (Hafsia Herzi).'
Perhaps it was the over-expectation that came with the numerous awards, but I felt that although La graine et le mulet dealt with the lives of ordinary people in an interesting manner, there seemed to be something lacking in the story-line, and Hafsia Herzi's character was unnecessarily irritating.
