Published: 4 March 2010
by DAN CARRIER
WHEN will the events of the sub-prime bubble burst that sent our economies spiralling into a defaulting depression start to make their presence felt on our film screens?
Previous economic downturns have provided dramatic impetus for cinema. The Depression-era movies did not all provide screwball escapism. Instead, many wondered how the Wall Street Crash had come about, who was to blame, the effect it had on working people and what could be done about it – James Cagney’s 1931 gangster flick The Public Enemy, the Marx Brothers’ Duck Soup and Frank Capra’s American Madness are all good examples of this.
More recently, the 1984 miners’ strike has been the backdrop for some gritty British films, while the Thatcher recession gave us the TV series Boys From The Black Stuff.
No doubt it will take a little while for the scripts to be ready for films to be produced – but as the opening credits roll on this highly watchable French movie, it can’t help but be noted that the story of the tragic lead figure whose company is in financially rocky waters is a nod to the experience so many people will have felt since the greed of bankers sent the world into economic meltdown. We meet handsome movie producer Gregoire as he juggles two mobile phones, drives a car and chain smokes. He is in a hurry, not just to get movies made, but to see his three delightful daughters, who are at his weekend bolthole outside Paris. The chaotic nature of his life is hammered home by the fact that he is pulled over for speeding as he rushes out of Paris on a Friday night for some family downtime – and the police have to apologetically take him in as he has now reached the maximum level of points on his licence.
The film chronicles the demise of Gergoire’s film company, and his attempts to be a proper parent to his children. It is incredibly believable, has characters that you can’t help but like, and performances across the board that ensure the intrinsic sadness of the story shines through.
This is an impressive second film from the 29-year-old French director Mia Hansen-Love.
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