At the café in Le Havre where she is a waitress, Marie-Line (Louane Emera) meets Alexandre (Victor Belmondo), a student from a good family who dreams of making films in Paris. From a poor family, without education or ambition, she does not fit in with Victor’s environment. “Ghosted” by the latter, the pink-haired waitress will confront him in front of his house.
Arrested for assault against Victor, Marie-Line discovers to her amazement that the judge (Michel Blanc) who must decide her fate is none other than the customer at whom she shouted at the café where she has just lost her job. Clément, the judge hires her as a driver so that she can pay the fine and thus avoid prison.
Based on the age-old formula of the mismatched tandem, Marie-Line and her judgebased on the novel Change the direction of riversby Murielle Magellan, allows Jean-Pierre Améris (The emotional anonymous) to explore a theme that is dear to him, social determinism among ordinary people. However, the scenario, written with Marion Michau, reserves few surprises and remains on the surface. Furthermore, if the figure of the judge seems credible, that of Marie-Line, who nevertheless evokes the petulant teacher of Happy-Go-Luckyby Mike Leigh, makes gestures that are not always plausible.
Very early on, the story of this unlikely friendship becomes as monotonous as the daily trips in a broken-down Twingo made by the two characters, who are polar opposites. Without really spicing up the story, but changing its course somewhat, the addition of Marie-Line’s sister (Alexandra Gentil) and her girlfriend (Ekatarina Rusnak), drug traffickers, as well as Evelyne (Nathalie Richard), the judge’s lover, will also be involved. Of course, Alexandre, whom Marie-Line is no longer allowed to approach, will also be called upon.
Supported by Virginie Saint-Martin, who signed the photo of her Farm Folliesthe filmmaker exploits the singular beauty of the port city, extracting a certain joy of living from it rather than its ambient greyness as in Aki Kaurismäki (Le Havre). These contemplative shots contrast nicely with the stagnant scenes in the car’s cluttered interior and in the messy apartment Marie-Line shares with her unemployed, depressed father (Philippe Rebbot).
During the conversations between Marie-Line and her judge, where both will obviously learn from each other, and vice versa, it is clear that there is an irresistible chemistry between the exuberant Louane Emera and the phlegmatic Michel Blanc. Faced with the giant of comedy, whose gaze betrays the sadness of the character, the revelation of The Aries familyby Éric Lartigau, does not let himself be imposed upon. This tandem, as unexpected as it is sympathetic, certainly proves to be the winning element of this dramatic comedy with melancholic accents sewn with pink thread.
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Drama
Marie-Line and her judge
Jean-Pierre Améris
Louane Emera, Michel Blanc, Victor Belmondo
1 h 43
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