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Illegal

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R
2010

Illegal is a gripping 2010 drama film directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse, with extraordinary performances by Anne Coesens, Alexandre Gontcharov, and Milo Masset-Depasse. This intense yet sensitive film brings light to the issue of illegal immigration and depicts the struggle of illegal migrants who are caught between a rock and a hard place seeking only a better life for them and their families.

Set in Belgium, the film introduces us to Tania (Anne Coesens), a resolute Russian immigrant. Tania, a single mother, is living in Brussels with her 14-year-old son, Ivan (Alexandre Gontcharov), both of whom have overstayed their tourist visas. With careful planning, she managed to stay under the Belgian authorities’ radar for eight long years. Coesens delivers an exceptional performance as a smart, hard-working woman who is making a conscious and continuous effort to blend into the society to keep her young son safe and provide him a decent life.

However, their life becomes increasingly complicated and frightening when one day, Tania gets caught by the immigration authorities. She is put in a detention center, while her son manages to escape. The center is a grim, claustrophobic place filled with people from different nationalities, each with a heart-rending story. Tania finds herself in a precarious situation, where revealing her true identity might result in her deportation to Russia, but simultaneously it's her only chance of reuniting with her son. On the other hand, to protect her son who is still on the run, she must remain unidentifiable to the Belgian authorities.

The movie then takes us through the intense, challenging journey of Tania in detention. A considerable part of the film deals with her physical and mental ordeal in the center, where constant bullying and uncaring behavior by the authorities become a part of daily life. Anne Coesens brilliantly plays her character, exhibiting a delicate mixture of desperation and defiance, of vulnerability and strength.

Alexandre Gontcharov presents an equally remarkable performance as Ivan. In moments of despair and struggle, Ivan displays a maturity far beyond his years. His love and worry for his mother, mixed with his own fear of being caught, keep the audience constantly invested in his character.

The screenplay of the film, written by Masset-Depasse and Philippe Blasband, is rich, complex, and layered. The film refrains from easy sentimentality or stereotypes, presenting a deeply human perspective on the crisis of illegal immigration. The narrative is poignant, and it effectively depicts the interiority of the characters, making the spectator deeply sympathize with their plight. In this manner, Illegal provides a nuanced critique of immigration policies without explicitly politicizing the issue.

The cinematography by Tommaso Fiorilli enhances the storyline by reinforcing the claustrophobic and tense atmosphere of the detention center. The grey palette and close-up shots evoke a sense of anguish and discomfort. The decision to refrain from using any background music further strengthens the realism portrayed in the film. The silence accentuates the stark reality of Tania's circumstances and gives more weight to the characters' emotional upheavals.

The movie is a moving dramatization of the often-unseen aspect of illegal immigration. It tackles contentious issues sensitively and responsibly, displaying the human side of a topic that usually tends to get reduced to statistics and legal debates. It boldly examines the ethical dimensions of immigration, bringing attention to the despair of those entangled in the legalities of borders, and the harrowing measures they must endure for basic survival.

Directed with great assurance and intense realism, Illegal is a deeply emotionally-involving movie that echoes within viewers long after it ends. The superb performances by the lead actors beautifully complement the potent narrative. This film is not just a social commentary, but a compelling human drama that grips you from start to finish. In its unique way, it reignites the discussion about the human rights of illegal migrants and sheds light on the urgent need for reformation in immigration laws and practices, while simultaneously tugging at the heartstrings of audiences with its raw, empathetic portrayal of its characters' struggles.

Illegal is a Drama movie released in 2010. It has a runtime of 107 min. Critics and viewers have rated it moderate reviews, with an IMDb score of 6.8. It also holds a MetaScore of 54.

6.8/10
54/100
Director
Ric Dupont
Stars
Shirley Rumierk, Luis Bordonada, Omar Leyva
Genres
Also directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse