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A Tale of Love and Desire

A Tale of Love and Desire

Drama · Romance · 2021

Ahmed, 18, is French of Algerian origin. He grew up in the Parisian suburbs. On the benches of the university, he meets Farah, a young Tunisian full of energy recently arrived from Tunis. While discovering a body of sensual and erotic Arabic literature that he never knew existed, Ahmed falls deeply in love with this girl, and although literally overwhelmed by desire, he will try to resist it.

Movie details

A Tale of Love and Desire

2021 Drama · Romance 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

Ahmed, 18, is French of Algerian origin. He grew up in the Parisian suburbs. On the benches of the university, he meets Farah, a young Tunisian full of energy recently arrived from Tunis. While discovering a body of sensual and erotic Arabic literature that he never knew existed, Ahmed falls deeply in love with this girl, and although literally overwhelmed by desire, he will try to resist it.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over A Tale of Love and Desire?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Leyla Bouzid

Written by

Leyla Bouzid

Sami Outalbali

Sami Outalbali

Ahmed Ouannas

Zbeida Belhajamor

Zbeida Belhajamor

Farah Kallel

Diong-Kéba Tacu

Diong-Kéba Tacu

Saidou

Aurélia Petit

Aurélia Petit

Professeur Anne Morel

Mahia Zrouki

Mahia Zrouki

Dalila

Bellamine Abdelmalek

Bellamine Abdelmalek

Karim

Mathilde La Musse

Mathilde La Musse

Léa

Court is in session

Put A Tale of Love and Desire on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.