Unveiled at the Alpe d'Huez Film Festival, Ici et là-bas arrives in cinemas on April 17. Directed by Ludovic Bernard, the feature reunites two French comedians: Hakim Jemili and Ahmed Sylla, who, 7 years on, reunites with the French director who gave him his first film role in L'Ascension.
Adrien (Hakim Jemili) has lived in Senegal for 15 years, leading a peaceful life with his partner Aminata. When the Senegalese authorities send him back to France because of a visa problem, he lands up with Sékou (Ahmed Sylla), a distant cousin of his wife who works in Paris as a salesman for 'Terroirs de nos Régions' - any resemblance to Nos régions ont du talent is, of course, not coincidental.
Forced by his boss to travel to the regions to meet his customers, with whom he has only spoken by telephone (you can see the 'problem' coming), Sékou has no choice but to take this strange cousin on a tour of France that holds many surprises in store for them. Drawing on the classic codes of the buddy movie, which forces two diametrically opposed personalities to embark on a shared adventure, Ici et là-bas plays on current events and sets its story in an "upside-down" world where the person who is sent back to France does everything... to avoid going back.
The film chooses humor and lightness to denounce racism and deep-rooted prejudices, sparing neither cousin - although it does paint a less flattering portrait of Sékou, who prefers to be called Cédric in France, portrayed as "whiter than white", with his artificial Parisian accent and his car rides to the sound of Cabrel.
But after a few good lines, the film itself sinks into caricature and cliché, as the duo travels through the French regions following the calendar of village festivals, and Sékou finds himself confronted, despite himself, with his skin color.
There's no doubt that Ici et là-bas would have benefited from more bite (not always easy with such a subject) and, above all, from avoiding the happy ending full of good feelings towards which the film's 1.5 hours lead us in the expected manner.
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