I thought I recognized him, when I saw him in the«Making of» which I found on the DVD of that movie. Fussing around and clumsily repeating «you know what I mean?», while trying to properly direct the actors. When I saw him last, he was just a teenager. I was visiting Cairo, more than 20 years ago. An Armenian common friend of Karim's father and my own mother invited us to a brunch garden party. I'll never forget how little Karim -- even back then, at about 15 or do --, was creating a fuss by running after some chicken that he insisted upon putting out of their «misery» by stepping on the poor beasts bleeding small heads ! So ... when I saw that scene towards the beginning of «The Beautiful Beast», in which a shot bird is about to be crushed by Miss Dhavernas shoe... I remembered that garden party. A very cruel, shocking movie dealing with a f... up trio ! But captivating ... well, let's say... in an «unhealthy» manner. Not for the faint of heart or the morally strict (lots of incestuous hints, some more than obvious such as when a young woman masturbates her own brother, sitting in a bathtub !). But realistic. And even sometimes poetic. Bravo Karim, you went a long way since that memorable garden party.

Director Karim Hussain's LA BELLE BETE, adapted from a book by acclaimed novelist Marie- Claire Blais, feels like a great Louis Malle or Eric Rohmer film from the 1970's that somehow slipped through the cracks. Austere and pared-to-the-bone, both visually and emotionally, the story focuses on the insanely-screwed up relationship between an aging (but still sexy) mother, her oddball daughter, and the beautiful man/boy of a son that they both long to possess and control. Suffice to say this is NOT Norman Rockwell's vision of a happy family. Terrific performances all around in three very difficult roles aided by Hussain's carefully calibrated direction and cinematography (he also served as DP on the film.) A dense, poetic and emotionally harrowing film, this one is well worth the effort.