Starring: Sami Bouajila, Roschdy Zem, Sami Naceri and Jamel Debbouze

Written by: Rachid Bouchareb and Olivier Lorelle

Directed by: Rachid Bouchareb

Runtime: 120 minutes

Rated: ‘R’ for graphic war violence, subtitled language and some sexuality

    Of particular note is the French military during the time of their brutal occupation by the Nazis. It's a common stereotype for us to say 'The French had an army?' in a snide, sarcastic way, but that would belittle the efforts of the valiant souls who fought, and died, to liberate their country. So, if we rarely here about the French army, we definitely have never heard of a French army consisting of Muslim soldiers from Africa. But that's the beauty of movies: they can enlighten to such slights in our historical knowledge.

    Four Muslim men enlist to liberate the "motherland", Said, Messaoud, Yassir and Abdelkader. Their journey takes them from the shores of Algeria, to Italy and finally, all the way into a little town in France. The unfortunate thing is that director Rachid Bouchareb doesn't find his focus until about 40 minutes in. Part of this has to do with the nature of war films, where there are so many characters and all of them look the same that it's hard to keep them straight, but the more damning reason is that we never know who to focus on. Said is introduced at the beginning, and then he fades into the background for an hour or so, and then suddenly, he becomes one of the star players. The worst case is Yassir, who seemed like only a perfunctory supporting player (the quirky guy who has to protect his brother), but again, his face is thrust upon us.

    The actors make the best of what they're given and, as with all war movies, you can feel the bond between them, their camaraderie, friendship and determination to finish the job. There are scenes of quiet elegance that resonate within the audience, whether it's a soft look between soldiers about to die or a glance at a picture of a girl, the film is populated with emotional, if not a little overused and clichéd, moments.

    No war film is complete without a theme, and if you can throw an underdog story in there (a la Glory), all the better. 'Days of Glory' is not only the tale of the Muslim exploits, but of the discrimination leveled against them. Unfortunately, those scenes feel forced, as if they were tacked on by the film-makers. A cook refuses to serve the Muslim soldiers tomatoes and what should be this big, rousing spectacle of defiance, but it comes off as a little flat because we still haven't quite figured out who these characters are, or even what their names are. The prejudice begins to feel more entwined within the characters about halfway through the film. Suddenly, there are real and dire effects, such as a military mail clerk who denies Messaoud's letters to his French lovely.

    The war in this film is choppy at best. The first, and biggest, battle, is when their regiment is ordered to take a hill. Standard mission, and it gives us a feel for the characters, who up until this point have no real identity as the film jumped into them volunteering, but the way it's edited feels sloppy. The fight begins and there're lulls and climaxes, but then it suddenly stops. Yassir and Abdelkader start fighting, but we never see the ramifications or even any animosity between them in future scenes. After that initial battle, we always see the end of a fight as they go country hopping, if any battle occurs at all.

    At the end, however, is a desperate, oh so very French battle: our heroes, their unit wiped out, are left, four alone, to defend a bridge against an oncoming German force. It plays out like a somber, intelligent first person shooter. We know they are not all making it out, but for a moment, we actually think they have pulled it off. Then it turns from firefight into a desperate scramble to survive, and as Abdelkader or Said are running across empty, open streets under enemy gunfire, I found my heart stopping. And it is never excessive, nor does it go on too long, it's the perfect metaphor for what these men are fighting against.

    The film is shot in the grainy standard of WWII movies. The colors are desaturated, but not the extreme that 'Flags of Our Fathers' was. Nor are there many moments of shaky cam, especially during the battle scenes. The camera is in the character's face, but it remains firmly planted, ensuring that the character himself moves within the frame defined, and not the other way around.

    'Days of Glory' is the French nominee for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars in two weeks and it deserves it. Films, more than any other medium, have not only the power to enlighten us to events and history, but to affect change. The end denouement explains the shabby treatment the Muslim soldiers endured is pitch perfect, and the final shot lingers with you long after the theater. This managed to open the eyes of the French government, and after the film's reception at Cannes, reinstated the benefits to remaining WWII veterans. 'Days of Glory' never reaches the heights you can feel it strive for, thanks mostly to spotty editing and a lack of focus, but its heart is still in the right place. And, in an age when we have a new set of veterans to attend to, it is all the more timely.