Délice Paloma

Délice Paloma is a very good film about making money in Algeria: the rise of Madame Aldjeria, who has good friends in the government, who manages beautiful girls and is dreaming to buy a true palace for her and herson.But the dream will also fall. The performances of Aylin Prandi (Paloma/Rachida) and Biyouna (Madame Adjeria) are excellent.

For many reasons, it is just perfect. It represents exactly the fair reflection of East , defined by small businesses near the law, corruption and compromises but, in same measure, the beautiful dream excusing all the not honest ways to make money.

Artistical, it reminds the Algerian exoticism , used and explored, in so many films , by French cinema.

Virtues - no doubts the impressive work of Biyouna , offering a very familiar character in her basic and impecable crafted traits., the young Aylin Prandi offering a seductive metamorphose of ingenuity in new context and, not the last,Daniel Lundh, reminding me the young. Nino Castelnuovo.

So, perfect fresco of a small world in its ascension and fall.

Though this is an important piece of Arab Cinema, which has been circulating in French territories for a couple of years, it appears to be unknown in the English speaking market.

It centres on Biyouna, an actress widely known in her own country, here playing what they call a Mafia madam, first encountered collecting her valuables at the jail check out and being met by associates, who drop off her keys and leave her alone - like Denzel Washington in American GANGSTER. The bulk of the film is extended flashbacks, taking her up to this point.

History, religion, scams, beautiful people, great music, strong two dimensional characters, intriguing Algiers settings (still recognizable from PEPE le MOKO) - a detailed picture of a corrupt society of which the central character is representative. The expert filmcraft never drags in it's two hours plus though the film lacks the strong resolution to turn it into a major work.

Finding a film of this ambition is a reminder of how little we know of Arab movies, indeed Arab life and suggests what we maybe missing.That's something quite important at this moment.