What It's About:

After a police scuffle critically injures an Arab student during a street riot in the slums of Paris, hotheaded Jewish youth Vinz (Cassel) finds himself in possession of a rookie's pistol, which he vows to use on a cop. As Vinz roams the streets with pals Hubert (Kounde), a boxer from West Africa, and Said (Taghmaoui), a disenfranchised Arab, his coiled rage threatens to erupt at the slightest provocation.

Why I Love It:

This explosive street drama set in the projects of Paris takes place over the course of 24 hours. Taking a cue from Scorsese and Spike Lee, Kassovitz employs a visceral visual style that may lack subtlety but will certainly keep you riveted. His young actors, representing a motley cross-section of alienated outsiders, are fresh and funny, especially in their chest puffing, pop culture-inflected banter. Giving voice to the voiceless and volatile, and building to a jarring climax, "La Haine" is an indelible, up-to-the-minute portrait of underclass rage in contemporary France.