Days of Glory

In 1943, France enlisted troops from nations in northern Africa to aide its fight against Nazi Germany. Days of Glory tells the story of a small group of these soldiers as they fight for France, their 'homeland'. Sadly, the French mistreat and discriminate against the mostly Muslim troops, denying them fruit, leave and even censoring their letters home to loved ones. These solders come to fight for more than freedom for France, they fight for acknowledgement, respect and cultural recognition. This fresh war film from Algeria tells an important story, but it's not without flaws. The intention of the solders is sometimes unclear, at one point hypocritical, and the drama becomes muddled at times. The third act, however, is magnificently handled by director Bouchareb as a small group of men fight against a seemingly insurmountable opposition. This lifts the film to a terrific climax. He captures the determination and diligence of the solders as well as the tension and horror of the war itself. Perhaps more horrifying though, is watching Bouchared stumble as he adds a thoroughly misplaced and pointless coda to the final moments of the film. This slapped-on finale is incredibly frustrating and ultimately lessens the impact of the film. The cast is excellent, photography is thoughtful, and although it teeters on repetitive, the message of the film - that of tolerance, respect and fairness - is an important one.

(dir. Rachid Bouchareb, Algeria, 120 mins)

7 on the DaveScale.

As a side note: How did Pedro Almodovar's warm, funny and touching Volver make it to the final round of Foreign Language Oscar voting, but miss out to this? Further proof that this category needs a serious reinvention.