Lila Says

For a movie that’s rife with clichés, Lila Says is shockingly refreshing. It’s the story of a beautiful blonde girl who moves into a mostly Muslim neighborhood in France. Lila (Vahina Giocante) can only show her affection by telling Chimo (Mohammed Khouas) elaborate stories about her imaginary sexual adventures. The confused Chimo is torn between his romantic feelings for Lila and his ne’er-do-well friends, who prefer robbery and rape to love and flowers. Of course, everything goes wrong for everybody, but not before a series of enchanting scenes capture perfectly the incompetence of young love.