Film Review
Instead, they make the acquaintance of a young woman, Chloé, who
reveals that she is the sister they never knew they had. It turns out
that the brothers' father has mysteriously disappeared and Chloé has
arranged the fake funeral in the hope of persuading them to assist her in
finding him. Reluctantly, Bruno and Léon agree to join their
unwished-for half-sister in her quest, and they begin by returning to the
country house where they grew up. Here they discover that their father
was an inveterate Don Juan who has spent the last decade or so accumulating
brief amorous liaisons. An impromptu visit to one of their father's
erstwhile lovers ends in near-disaster, and then it dawns on Léon
that Chloé is not what she pretends....
With half a dozen short films under his belt - including
Double Mixte
(2012) and
Les Lézards (2013) - director Vincent Mariette makes
the transition to feature-length entertainment with the confidence and panache
of a man who knows he has found his métier.
Tristesse Club
is an absurdist romp that somehow manages to encompass just about every popular
film genre you can name (rom-com, buddy movie, road movie, thriller, horror
film...) and blend these into a satisfying concoction that is inexplicably
compelling. A raving cinephile of the first order, Mariette has no
qualms over filching ideas and styles from other filmmakers, but he gets
away with this because the end result is so pleasingly original and unpredictable
- as mildly unhinged as a head-on collision between a Coen brothers movie
and one of the weirder films by
Bertrand Blier.
Tristesse Club's main appeal is that it has a pretty indescribable
ambiance all of its own, sinister on the surface, with a darkly humorous
underbelly and a tasty stratum of cold realism sandwiched in between. Mariette's
assured mise-en-scène totally belies the director's comparative lack
of experience, although he falls down a little in the script department.
The episodic nature of the narrative gives the impression of a series of
short films (each well-conceived and enjoyable in its own right) clumsily
bolted together, with the result that the film lacks coherence overall.
It is clear that the three central characters are each on a personal journey,
but in each case it is a journey that seems destined never to reach a satisfactory
resolution. The film ends abruptly and you are left wondering what
happens next - maybe Mariette is leaving the door open for a possible sequel?
Let's hope so.
Whatever scripting deficiencies the film has are minimised by Mariette's
unbeatable choice of actors for the three lead roles. Laurent Lafitte
and Vincent Macaigne are such a perfect match that the film could hardly fail.
With their contrasting personalities (one is naturally the gobby Alpha
Male, the other the cutely timid inadequate) and very different acting styles
they make an ideal chalk-and-cheese double act. It's the best screen
partnership French cinema has given us in years. And then there is
Ludivine Sagnier, who has the thankless task of playing off these two hyper-charismatic
actors. Against expectations, she acquits herself superbly by underplaying
her part so much that she seems to exist on another plane, an ethereal presence
that can't quite decide whether to be the femme fatale, a fairytale princess,
or just a playful neurotic out for a good time.
Vincent Mariette's skill as a director is evident on many fronts but he
owes much to his talented triumvirate of lead actors, who not only make his
first feature worth watching again and again, but also give it sufficient
depth, charm and emotional realism to prevent it from being just another
silly run-around comedy. Vincent Macaigne is unquestionably the film's
main asset - his presence as the Woody Allen-like habitual loser gives him
ample opportunity to prove himself, as both a comedic and dramatic performer
of the first rank, and having watched him in this film you're left in no
doubt that he is destined for bigger and better things.
Tristesse
Club is a film that - thankfully - does
not live up to its name.
© James Travers 2016
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Film Synopsis
Bruno and Léon are two brothers, both in their thirties, who could
not be more different. Bruno owns a successful dating website, but
so far has had little success in his own love life. Léon was
once an up-and-coming tennis player, before a medical diagnosis brought
an abrupt end to his sporting career. Now he has barely enough money
to support himself, let alone his wife and son. The brothers have
never got on and they would no doubt have kept well apart were it not for
the news that their father has just died. Even though Bruno and Léon
have good reason to loathe their progenitor, whom they haven't seen for years,
they dutifully attend his funeral, only to find that there is no funeral!
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.