Warmly magical ... Suspense is as thick and exciting as communal joy, and a single sexy surprise proves one of the greatest moments in film this year.
— Aaron Hillis, Premiere
A surprisingly deft piece of neorealist suspense, building up to the restaurant's heartbreaking opening night.
— Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine
Thrillingly tragic ... The movie bleeds life ... you'll have to see for yourself. The apartments are small, the emotions big, and the story like something out of a many-chaptered literary saga.
— Wesley Morris, The Boston Globe
Brilliant ... an extraordinarily rich and human ensemble piece ... establishes Kechiche as a major player in world cinema.
— Stephen Holden, The New York Times
By the time The Secret of the Grain reaches its final act, our pulses are racing and our hearts are in our throats. Kechiche is that rare thing at the movies these days: an intelligent humanist
— Scott Foundas, LA Weekly
Presented by IFC Films | France | Dec 24th, 2008 | 154 MINS | UR
The winner of four César awards, including best picture and director, Abdellatif Kechiche’s The Secret of the Grain is a stirring drama about the daily joys and struggles of a bustling French-Arab family. It has the texture of a documentary but a classic, almost Shakespearean structure: when patriarch Slimane acts on his wish to open a portside restaurant specializing in his ex-wife’s couscous and fish, the extended clan’s passions and problems explode, leading to an engrossing, suspenseful climax. With sensitivity and grit, The Secret of the Grain celebrates the role food plays in family life and gets to the core of contemporary immigrant experience.
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Awards
César Awards
Won
- Best Director
- Best Film
- Most Promising Actress
- Best Screenplay
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OFFICIAL SELECTION
Venice Film Festival
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OFFICIAL SELECTION
Tribeca Film Festival
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OFFICIAL SELECTION
San Francisco Film Film Festival
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