Three films that seemed exciting on paper but turned out to be disappointing. Not failures, just disappointing.
JOYEUSE RETRAITE (Fabien Bracq)
Philippe (Thierry Lhermitte) and Marilou (Michรจle Laroque) are finally retiring. Unfortunately, their shameless children want them to look after their grandchildren. They will try to escape the trap by any means. Based on a real societal issue, the film proves to be funny and iconoclastic. At times, it reminds one of the best of Chatillez (like Tatie Daniรจle, for example). Unfortunately, an incredibly conventional and syrupy ending spoils the film, as if the director was afraid of his boldness. A shame!
PLAY (Anthony Marciano)
The film’s core concept is very daring: the entire film is based on archive footage that the hero (Max Boublil), an aspiring filmmaker, has kept since he was given his first camcorder by his parents when he was 13, and of which we see a supposed montage. Suffice it to say that the gamble on form is successful: the small bits of film, the clumsy shots, the random framing do not hinder the story’s flow and give it an undeniable touch of authenticity. Unfortunately, the script, which is supposed to depict young Max’s transition to adulthood, is quite conventional. His love story with Emma (the charming Alice Isaaz) is as well. As for the social reality in which the story’s protagonists are supposed to evolve, it is almost absent. From 1993 to 2019, the only event mentioned is the 1998 World Cup… we are far from Scola. A shame again!
SELFIE
Composed of five different stories, each directed by a different filmmaker, the film interweaves the fates of social media addicts. However, you can find characters in multiple sequences, which is an original approach to the sketch film. The film starts off at full speed with the cruel story of a couple using their sick child for buzz. Then we shift focus to a mini romantic comedy between Elsa Zylberstein and Max Boublil (him again!), compulsive users of their phones. Then… that’s about it: the other stories are superficial and of little interest. The great film on this subject remains to be made. Always a shame!
