The plot revolves around fifteen-year-old Noumouké from the suburb of Paris who is about to decide which brother's footsteps to follow - the lawyer student Soulaymaan or the gangster Demba.
With Forest of Love still burned into my memory, what better motivation to stick to the foreign-language Netflix Originals and check out the French drama, Street Flow (otherwise known as Banlieusards). As tends to be the case, I found it much more engaging with English subtitles over the original French audio, rather than the English dubbing. While focusing on a different topic in the main storyline, there are definite comparisons that can be made to Netflix's earlier release, Beats, with similarities in the environment that minorities in low socio-economic suburbs are raised in.
Where Beats used the "thug life" as a plot device to spur the main storyline on, Street Flow makes it the forefront of the plot; the unfortunate truth of families being split because of the colour of their skin. Overt racism that prevents many from being able to get work, which means they have to turn to crime to support their families, but they have to limit their exposure to their families to ensure their safety. Those that wish to escape these conditions, seek to study, but where does the money for tuition come from? There's a sense of duality at play, where the negative treatment of minorities is a constant burden on the communities, and forces them to remain inextricably linked to crime because they are left with no other options.
Street Flow is quite well-scripted and directed, with a story that manages to appropriately convey a consistent sense of struggle, while still managing to subvert expectations to an extent. It is still quite formulaic in its structure, but it adds enough additional subplots to keep the audience guessing as to the direction.
Interestingly, the effects of violence and criminal activities are downplayed in the film, coming across as nothing more than a "dirty" source of money. What violence does occur, is swiftly forgotten, with minimal consequence. It would have been nice beneficial if it had delved into the psychological consequences of tha "gangsta" life.
The acting performances are well done, with Jammeh Diangana and Kery James posing as brothers Soulyamaan and Demba (respectively), the two extremes of the spectrum that younger brother Noumouké (portrayed by Bakary Diombera) must choose between as he goes through his formative years. Diombera does a great job as the rebellious teen that acts without thought of the consequences, while Diangana and James show the grey in their situation, blurring the lines of what makes a good person.
The cinematography does create some beautiful shots, but by-and-large is pretty by-the-numbers. The environments and neighbourhoods are well-framed, but with flat lighting that makes sure that these poor suburbs never look too extravagant.
Street Flow is a literal debate on the responsibility of the state, and it covers both sides of the argument well. It doesn't provide the answers, it simply gives you enough information to make you ask your own questions.