A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

"Lila dit ça" is a contemporary story about two teenagers, Chimo and Lila, which have a hidden attraction for each other in spite of not knowing each other very well… Chimo (Mohammed Khouas) is a young Muslim guy which lives with his mother and has a group of friends also Arab. He's quieter than the others, he's calm, peaceful and has a great dream: to become a writer… but he thinks he'll never get it… Lila (Vahina Giocante) is a mysterious young girl who arrives in the neighborhood. From the very first moment Chimo is in love with her. At the beginning he didn't notice, he thinks it's just an attraction, but then he'll understand he is… Lila is mysterious, acts strangely, but she's beautiful. She has the face of an angel (as is said by herself in the movie!) but the mind of a devil… She's provocative, insinuating, and she's always speaking about sex, and about her sex… She's a real devil with an angel face! But is she in love with Chimo (as he's for her), or is it just a game to her? By the end the viewer will find out!It's a story about passion (teenage passion), self-discovery, teenage relationships, but it also portrays a reality of mixed cultures. It describes very well the shock between different cultures which stand side-by-side in the French suburbs nowadays… It's just the plot's background but it ends being a good social portrait of these different cultures.All in all it's a good movie which deserves a 7/10 score!

I'm not exactly the target audience for realist dramas or romance films. My tastes lean heavily towards fantasy, especially horror, the darker side of that broad genre. I tend to prefer stereotypical "guy" and adolescent films. But Lila Says is a beautiful, extremely well made film in many ways. I only subtracted one point because it is just a tad slow in a few sections; however, I can easily see revising my score to a 10 on subsequent viewings.The story is set in an Arab ghetto outside of Paris. Chimo (Mohammed Khouas) has a talent for writing, but because it's not exactly what anyone expects of him, and seriously pursuing it would involve removing himself from the only world that he knows, he sweeps it under a rug more or less and spends most of his time with three somewhat brash friends. Suddenly, a beautiful French girl, Lila (Vahina Giocante), moves into the neighborhood with her foster mom. Chimo and his friends are all understandably taken with her, but she only pays attention to Chimo, in secret. Lila Says is the story of their growing but odd relationship, which despite Lila's increasingly outrageous stories and sexual comments and behavior, remains mostly platonic.I've already mentioned that Giocante is beautiful, as is Khouas, as far as I can judge, but so is the setting and the cinematography. Lila says would be worth a watch for the latter alone. Chimo may live in a ghetto, but director of photography John Daly sure knows how to make gorgeous and attractive. Likewise, the songs and the score in the film are beautiful.But most importantly, the story is very engaging. Director Ziad Doueiri is able to turn a film that is really mostly talking in a limited number of settings into something often as gripping as an adventure/thriller, with hints of both of those genres. Lila's behavior and stories are often surprising, and her relationship with Chimo is complex and realistic. The ending has something of a twist (two, actually) that makes the film more tragic, but at the same time, Lila is a catalyst that brings full realization to "true selves", whether that ends up being a triumph, as in the case of Chimo and his mother, or a disaster, as in the case of another character.

I had previously seen "West Beirut" (also directed and written by Ziad Doueiri) and I really liked it. It had a special meaning to me because I live in Lebanon (where the events of the movie take place) and I can really relate to the the story and the characters. I had never gotten around to watching "Lila Dit Ca" (But I had been wanting to for a long time) Anyways, today I watched it and I have to say: It is a GREAT movie!!!! The acting, the story, the directing... all superb!!! I really think that Vahina Giocante was perfect for this role. She did an excellent job of portraying the character. I am friends with Rami Doueiri (Ziad Doueiri's brother and one of the main character from West Beirut) and I honestly can't wait to get in touch with him and tell him just how much I loved this movie!!! I think Ziad Doueiri really deserves a big pat on the back for the great movies he is making!I give this movie the 'Two thumbs up' !!!

Lila, a pretty blonde girl living in the Arab quarter of Marseilles, sticks out like a sore thumb. Lila is young, voluptuous, and totally foreign, in contrast with the rest of the inhabitants of that neighborhood. Therefore, Lila becomes the object of desire for Chimo and his three cronies that seem to spend their time hanging out without any jobs to go to.Thus begins this erotically charge tale of a romance between two unlikely partners, the blonde Lila and the dark and intense Chimo. Ziad Doueiri, the Lebanese director, bases his film in a novel by Chimo that from what we have read is an explicit account of their relationship.Lila likes Chimo from the beginning. She realizes he isn't like the rest of his worthless friends. Lila loves to tease Chimo with her tales of erotic fantasies and loves talking 'dirty' to him. Chimo becomes infatuated with Lila, much to his friends' chagrin, who feel left out by Chimo's involvement with Lila. It's Mouloud, the more vocal of the gang that goes to spy on Lila and Chimo, but not finding anything, he returns to the girl's apartment with his friends to harm Lila.It's not until that point, when Chimo goes to the apartment and finds Lila crying hysterically that he realizes the true secret about Lila, which is confirmed at the end of the film when the mysterious driver of the grey limousine that supposedly comes to pick up Lila for fun and games, is revealed to the audience. Then, and only then, we realize we have been taken for a ride by the Mr. Doueiri, as we realize Lila is just an innocent young woman.Vahina Giocante makes a beautiful Lila, a girl that seems much older than her years reveal. Mohammaed Khouas is an enigmatic and serious Chimo. Karim Ben Haddou plays Mouloud, the man who misreads the relationship between Lila and Chimo.The film message seems to point that beauty is only skin deep and that appearances are deceiving. Mr. Doueiri shows he has the potential for giving his viewers a run for their money.