Film Review
For his debut feature director Yann Coridian broaches one of the
thorniest subjects of all, mental illness. His film is not, as
you might reasonably expect, a gruelling realist drama charged with
human suffering but a downbeat romantic comedy, adopting a
matter-of-fact approach that is more in keeping with the prevalence of
depression in our society. Ably supported by his talented
co-screenwriter Sophie Fillières, Coridian tackles his subject
matter with the seriousness it merits, without succumbing to crude
caricature and facile prejudice.
Ouf is an amiable, albeit slightly
uneven first film which offers a totally convincing portrait of a
middle-aged man who has to fight not only his depression but also the
misconceptions of others in his quest for personal happiness.
Eric Elmosnino is a perfect casting choice for the central character,
François, a 40-something outsider who, thanks to his depression,
inhabits a limbo-like world in which his only compass is his certainty
in the love he has for a woman, ably played by Sophie Quinton.
Through a remarkably astute performance, Elmosnino not only conveys the
excruciating sense of alienation of someone in his character's
predicament, but also his emotional fragility and yearning for
acceptance. The casting of one-time Charlot Luis Rego in the role
of his father is fortuitous - the physical resemblance of the two
actors is so striking you'd swear they are blood relations.
Another comedy legend, Anémone, puts in an all too brief
appearance, although the most visible female presence is that of
Italian diva Valeria Golino, the perfect counterpoint to Elmosnino's
introverted solemnity.
Coridian's mise-en-scène may lack the inspired touch but it is
suitably restrained for a an unpretentious little comedy-drama of this
kind. Whilst the narrative feels a little forced and aimless in
the film's first half things improve markedly in the second, where the
mood of the piece takes on a more melancholic and lyrical feel.
The scenes set within a psychiatric institution have a chilling
reality to them, a pointed reminder of society's failure to comprehend
and accept mental illness.
Ouf
has many of the flaws you would expect for a first feature, yet it
resonates with truth and the director deserves some credit for tackling
a subject as problematic and commercially unattractive with such
delicate restraint and honesty.
© James Travers 2014
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Film Synopsis
François is 41 and coping badly with the onset of midlife blues.
There seems to be no reason for his apparent mental instability. He
has a good job, a comfortable home, a wonderful wife and two children he
adores. What more could he possibly want? François may
appear settled and content with his domestic and professional life, but increasingly
he appears incapable of holding his world together. One day, he loses
control completely and the next thing he knows he is being admitted to a
psychiatric hospital. When he is discharged, apparently a sane individual,
he finds that his old life has been taken from him. His wife Anna will
have nothing more to do with him.
Naturally, François does what anyone would do in his position, which
is to turn to his parents and best friend for moral support. The problem
is that his father still treats him like a child and his mother is far too
busy with her work as a psychoanalyst to give him the attention he needs.
And his best friend as her own problems to deal with. François
realises that this is one battle he is going to have to fight on his own.
So, without delay, he devotes himself to the biggest challenge of his life
- winning back the wife he knows he cannot live without...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.