Hammerman Ikon

Hammerman Ikon Film Guide

Des hommes et des dieux (Of Gods and Men)
2010
***
Director: Xavier Beauvois
Cast: Lambert Wilson, Michael Lonsdale, Olivier Rabourdin, Philippe Laudenbach, Jacques Herlin, Loïc Pichon, Xavier Maly, Jean-Marie Frin

This thoughtful but overrated drama is based on the events that played out in Algeria in 1996. A Trappist monastery is the backbone of the poor Muslim community, but when Islamic extremists begin to terrorise the area, the monks must decide whether to flee to safety or stand firm and face whatever comes. The story is subtly told and it shows how eight individuals transform into one like-minded collective. However, the film is very leisurely paced and it portrays the monks and their actions in rather saintly light.