LES INDÉSIRABLES/BÂTIMENT 5 (Ladj Ly 2023)

Ly's followup to his Cannes Jury Prize, Oscar-nominated debut Les Misérables is mainly a reenactment of a mass eviction without warning from the housing estate he grew up in. Powerful and angry, it is much shorter than the first film and lacks its subtlety - and didn't get to debut at Cannes or receive high marks from French critics or spectators. But there is passion and ambitious staging.

Screened for this review as part of the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema at Lincoln Center, New York (Feb. 29-Mar. 10, 2024. Showtimes:
Saturday, March 2 at 9:15pm (Q&A with Ladj Ly)
Thursday, March 7 at 8:30pm