Riders

Michel Jette has given us an unsettling glimpse at what organized crime is really like. Set in one of the somewhat less lavish neighborhood of Montreal, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, the movie explores the struggles of teenagers who are irreversibly drawn into a world of crime, deadly loyalty and power struggle. Realistic and well-acted, the simple premise of the movie lets the storyline creep up slowly with occasional twists and turns, but the social commentary it gives is confusingly subtle and thought-provocative even in its apparent directness. While less extravagant than Soderberg's Traffic, it's realism and attempted objectivity at the attractive, yet morally questionable, social and economic underworld is a quality that will give this film a long-lasting effect to most avid viewers. When it ends, you will still have plenty to think about.

Try to get your hands on this one. Probably the best French-Canadian film in years. 9/10