J’attends quelqu’un (2007) - film review

In a small provincial town, bar owner Louis is pursuing a clandestine affair with a prostitute, Sabine.  Even though he is a paying client, Louis has fallen in love with Sabine, but dares not let anyone know this, not even his sister, Agnès.  The latter is married to a workaholic husband, Jean-Philippe, who neglects her.  One day, Agnès meets Stéphane, a young man whom she has not seen since he was a boy.  Stéphane has made an unexpected return to the town after several years and seems to harbour a dark secret...

With his third full-length film, Jérôme Bonnell affirms his standing as one of France’s most promising young filmmakers, a worthy successor to the premier league auteurs of the past, such as Claude Sautet and Eric Rohmer.  Here, with great insight and compassion, Bonnell develops some of the themes explored in his previous films - Le Chignon d’Olga (2002) and Les Yeux clairs (2005): the fragility of human relationships, the resilience of women compared with the vulnerability of men, and how individuals cope with the greatest bane of our era, solitude.

Whilst other directors have undoubtedly tackled these themes already, Bonnell does so in a way that constantly appears fresh and distinctive.  J’attends quelqu’un is not your typical French drama; it has a subtle quirkiness which offsets its melancholic realism, and also an unpredictability that heightens its sense of reality.  The French have an expression "sur le vif", which means "taken from life" (like a painting or photograph).  Bonnell’s cinema has this rare quality, which could explain why his films are so absorbing and true to life.

The film presents us with a diverse bunch of characters who, on the face of it, have nothing in common.  But as we enter their world, we realise that they all have one thing in common.  Each is living a life that is pretty well a sham, a temporary stopgap existence.   Every one of them is waiting for something better to enrich and fulfil their lives, but in the meantime they are content to make do with their present lot.  They do not yet realise that this may be the best they will ever have, that the anticipated happy end may not come their way.  Indeed, the best that one of the protagonists can hope for is to become embroiled in a shaggy dog story...

Once again, Jérôme Bonnell shows remarkable skill and maturity not only in his direction, but also in his writing.  His script reveals an appreciation of human psychology and the complexities of relationships that is hard to come by in an author of his age (late twenties).  The quality of Bonnell’s work is perhaps more visible this time round because of the exceptional cast he has at his disposal.  In addition to the familiar Bonnell regulars -  Nathalie Boutefeu, Florence Loiret, Marc Citti (all excellent) - we are treated to a triumvirate of talent, in the guise of Eric Caravaca, Jean-Pierre Darroussin and Emmanuelle Devos.  It is a fitting cast for what is, by any standards, a superlative piece of cinema.

© James Travers 2010

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