Intimate Enemies poster

2007·108 min·Released

Intimate Enemies

“The scars of war last forever”

Drama
War
History

A drama following a French platoon during Algeria's war of independence.

6.4(88 votes)

Popularity1

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Intimate Enemies - Trailer

Cast & Crew

Benoît Magimel

Benoît Magimel

Terrien

Albert Dupontel

Albert Dupontel

Dougnac

Mohamed Fellag

Mohamed Fellag

Fellag

Lounès Tazairt

Lounès Tazairt

Saïd

Abdelhafid Metalsi

Abdelhafid Metalsi

Rachid

Vincent Rottiers

Vincent Rottiers

Lefranc

Lounès Machene

Lounès Machene

Amar

Adrien Saint-Joré

Adrien Saint-Joré

Lacroix

Guillaume Gouix

Guillaume Gouix

Delmas

Aurélien Recoing

Aurélien Recoing

Vesoul

Marc Barbé

Marc Barbé

Berthaut

Éric Savin

Éric Savin

Torture sergeant

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John Chard

Written on 4/2/2016

The war they tried to ignore! L'ennemi intime (Intimate Enemies) is a raw picture looking at French conscripts during the Algeria War. It was a war that was fought for 8 years between 1954-1962, it was also a war that France failed to even acknowledged had existed until over three decades later. Pic picks up the thread in 1959 and the focal point is the relationship between Lieutenant Terrien (Benoît Magimel) and Sergent Dougnac (Albert Dupontel). The former is the new guy, idealistic, while the latter is the grizzled and battled scarred veteran. The Barbarian Hordes. With the French locked in battle against the Algerian rebels, the film runs the protagonists through the psychological mangler. The horrors of war are born out, with both sides of the conflict depicted with a barbarity that's harrowing in nature. As the pic progresses you can see Terrien being worn down by what he observes, the key being he is losing his idealistic heart. Moral dilemmas are deftly inserted into the screenplay, but disappointingly the political thrum that was driving the conflict is given short shrift. From an action stand point director and co-writer Florent-Emilio Siri strikes hard, with two particular sequences - one a field of fleeing soldiers and the finale involving air-strikes - outstanding in construction. Siri also knows when to tighten the emotional noose, bringing to us poignant scenes that leave a lump in the throat. Giovanni Fiore Coltellacci's cinematography is also to be applauded, muted colours mingle with stark framing compositions to really give the sense of realism that the screenplay demands and deserves. Aside from the lack of political basis (we need to know more about this war), the only other real problems with the piece is the conventionality, and that it inevitably is filled with war film stereotypes. However, this is very good film making and the makers bring the story to vivid life, always remaining fascinating and certainly unforgettable. 8/10

Media

Intimate Enemies - Trailer

Intimate Enemies - Trailer