“When reality is banal and sad, invent a beautiful story for me. This is what unites Camille and Georges one day, and which guides their life of pleasures and the education of their son, Gary. Parties, dancing and lies bring their lives into tune with Camille’s fantasy, whose need for euphoria borders on madness. Always more. Then, one day, Camille goes too far.
Transposing a literary success to the screen is not an easy task. The director of the hailed PopularRégis Roinsard, tackles here the novel by Olivier Bourdeaut Waiting Bojangles (Gallimard, 2016), of which he offers an adaptation just free enough to leave room for his whims and desires. And Roinsard puts the package from the opening sequence, launched by a very controlled long shot, all in ardor and in charm. The fluid camera movements draw the spectator by the nose, and the latter lets himself be done with pleasure. The director, who, to satisfy his pronounced taste for the 1950s and 1960s, sets the film at that time, gives the bonus of nods to bills typical of the golden age of Hollywood. Something to cajole the viewer nostalgic for Ingrid Bergman.
A delight of replicas
It is in this gentle madness that the director introduces us to the swaggering couple formed by Romain Duris and Virginie Efira. We revel in their mythomaniac joust while they dance a tango in front of the sea, and their irrational enthusiasm. This, we owe to the screenwriter Romain Compingt, already hard at work for Popular, who once again shows his talent. Every replica, or almost, is a treat. Besides, the punchlineshalfway between the second degree way OSS117 and absurd philosophy abound. We had to wait Bojangles to discover that there are two categories of people to absolutely avoid: vegetarians and professional cyclists. “The first because a man who refuses to eat a steak must certainly have been a cannibal in another life. The second because a man wearing a suppository who roughly molds his purses in fluorescent tights to climb a hill is necessarily someone dangerous. »
The dance game
For a drama, it does not lack humor, this Bojangles. Nor panache, especially through the many dance scenes. On a catchy soundtrack, Roinsard sublimates the talents of dancer of Duris with each of his steps. Only false note: the song of Nina Simone Mr. Bojangles (to which novel and film owe their title) could have occupied a greater place in the soundtrack of the film. Even so, Duris hypnotizes us enough to ignore it.
In addition to his danced performance, the actor unfolds a remarkable range of acting. This takes all its power in the drama, which Duris restores with accuracy and moderation. Efira, meanwhile, sparkles as a whimsical mother who gradually loses touch with reality. The very young Solàn Machado-Graner almost overshadows the two stars thanks to his interpretation of Gary. We would almost like to adopt this toddler who speaks like an adult as he is endearing. Moreover, the scenes filmed at child height are among the most successful.
Despite its fine qualities, the film is dented by its lengths which weigh down the viewing. The plot takes time to develop. And, as if the director was running out of steam from these lengths, his imaging tends to drop in quality over the course of the film. The panache of the beginning fades to give way to a more classic realization. The fact remains that this feature film offers us a superb family and love story.