The Young Gangster

A remarkably humanistic writer/director whose introspective features often dwell on youthful malaise, French filmmaker Jacques Doillon has an uncanny knack for exploring human nature and the impact of people’s actions on those most dear to them. Perhaps it was his penchant for directing documentary shorts early on that gave Doillon his insight, but by the time he moved into feature territory in the early ‘70s he had suitably mastered the ability to tell a solid and affecting story. In 1979, Doillon was nominated for two César awards for his compelling psychological drama The Hussy, and his 1984 film La Pirate was a Golden Palm nominee at the Cannes Film Festival. By the 1990s, Doillon’s career had gained effective momentum. His 1990 film Le Petit Criminel, which told the involving tale of a troubled adolescent, was nominated for multiple César awards. After his success with film Le Jeune Werther in 1993, the director scored his biggest international hit to date with the 1996 drama Ponette. The tale of a four-year-old girl attempting to overcome the harsh reality of her mother’s sudden and tragic death, Ponette won the hearts of audiences around the world and brought Doillon international acclaim. His youthful 1999 drama Petits Frères, however, didn’t fare quite so well on the international scene, and he faltered somewhat with the 2001 drama Carrement à l’Ouest. Nevertheless, longtime fans eagerly awaited the arrival of Doillon’s 2003 drama Raja, which detailed the romance between a young Moroccan street woman who doesn’t speak French and a cultured French man who doesn’t speak Arabic. —allmovie guide