After eight years of absence, director Michel Gondry returns with “The Book of Solutions”, the tender and chaotic story of a director as brilliant as he is tormented.
The Book of Solutions, a brilliant self-portrait of an ultra creative and indomitable director, allows himself all the eccentricities. Michel Gondry’s latest film is to be discovered in theaters on September 13, 2023. This mixture of ingenuity, craftsmanship and creative madness is carried by a euphoric humorous breath.
Ideas flow day and night
In the guise of Pierre Niney, as annoying as he is endearing, Marc is a misunderstood director, the nightmare of producers concerned about their return on investment. When he understands that the producers of his new film are preparing to finish it without him, he flees with his team and his rushes to his aunt Denise in the Cévennes.
This uncompromising team leader, whose ideas fuse day and night, brings in his wake a stubborn editor (Blanche Gardin) who oscillates between benevolent protection and exasperation, a devoted production manager (Frankie Wallach) and an allergic assistant who coughs in any circumstance. A benevolent and welcoming pillar of this small community, Aunt Denise (Françoise Lebrun) watches over her nephew, who has the stamp of a genius, with unfailing love.
Funny and poetic
Marc’s frenzy is incredibly funny and poetic. The Book of Solutions, like its main character, allows itself all the digressions. This is how a paper fox opens his hair salon in the middle of the film, and Denise finds herself imparting her cooking secrets in a DVD devoted to seasonal recipes.
Through this touching portrait of a man who feels “sad in the morning and manipulated in the afternoon“, Michel Gondry goes far in self-mockery. He also pays tribute to all those who, despite the anger and the uncontrollable creative frenzy, tenderly protect this tormented artist who does not manage to watch his film in its entirety. History does not say whether Michel Gondry himself viewed The Book of Solutions before its world premiere at the Cinematographers’ Fortnight last May in Cannes. The mystery remains. Only one certainty, this comedy is highly recommended.
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The sheet
Gender : Comedy
Director: Michael Gondry
Actors: Pierre Niney, Blanche Gardin, Françoise Lebrun, Vincent Elbaz, Frankie Wallach and Camille Rutherford
Country : France
Duration : 1h42
Exit : September 13, 2023
Synopsis: Marc flees with his entire team to a small village in the Cévennes to finish his film with his aunt Denise. On site, his creativity manifests itself in a million ideas that plunge him into strange chaos. Marc then begins writing the Book of Solutions, a guide of practical advice which could well be the solution to all his problems.