Jean-Michel, a septuagenarian archivist, patiently awaits death. Having had neither a partner nor a child, he will pass away in general indifference, as he confides without qualms in voiceover. But then, in the seniors’ residence where he lives, a commotion sends Jean-Michel’s gloomy existential considerations to the background.
Indeed, young activists are against a fresco which adorns a wall of the place. Soon, Suzanne, the director of the room who makes eyes at her resident, is attacked by the demonstrators, the media and the government. In Willby Denys Arcand, Rémy Girard and Sophie Lorain court each other against a backdrop of offensive heritage.
Obviously, the fate that should be reserved for the disputed fresco is first and foremost a pretext that the director of Comfort and indifference, The decline of the American empire And Barbarian invasions uses in order to x-ray, once again, his society. This, by resorting to satire.
However, as in Dark Ages, the filmmaker sometimes has a heavy hand. This film, however, turns out to be more effective, both in terms of substance and form – production with complete control and discreet elegance (lovely photo direction by Claudine Sauvé). There is plenty of food for thought here.
The first minutes provoke circumspection, while Jean-Michel (an inspired Rémy Girard) is about to receive a literary prize: the only (elderly) man in the lot, he is mistreated by all the other winners (insert a joke about the word “author” ): at a time when male authors are shining in major literary awards, this “beleaguered man” aspect makes us smile, but not for the desired reasons.
Fortunately, Arcand then rectifies the situation (and the dosage) by detailing, in small touches, Jean-Michel’s daily life, between his two days of work at the National Archives (great complicity with the young colleague played by Katia Gorshkova), his walks at the cemetery, the affectionate listening visits for which he pays a young woman (Marie-Mai, impeccable), the beer with the old boyfriend (Edgar Bori, natural), and above all, the tender complicity and more if the affinity that emerges between him and the mistreated director (Sophie Lorain, excellent but wearing a very visible wig).
Because between the demands of the young demonstrators (led by an intractable Alexandra McDonald) who claim to represent the First Nations, the media circus and the pressures exerted by a government quick to turn around “always on the good side” as Dutronc sang (hats off to Caroline Nero and his purely tongue-in-cheek ministerial tirade), Suzanne really needs a distraction.
A second opinion
In order to help his friend, Jean-Michel will seek the advice of a Mohawk expert, who will also denounce the fresco, but for otherwise valid reasons. Faced with the superficial reproaches made at the beginning of the film by the demonstrators, none of whom are indigenous it appears, this time we are treated to a poignant historical perspective: for the Mohawk representative, this meeting between French and Mohawks is the announcement of a genocide.
Mohawk actress Alex Rice gracefully carries this pivotal scene, which is followed by a lighter, but equally revealing, exchange between her character and that of Rémy Girard.
In this regard, after a first part with sometimes caricatured accents, the film alternates with more happiness, seriousness and humor in the second part. Although the filmmaker never spares his targets, in this case the political class, which he targets from all parties, as well as the young activists (English speakers and a handful of French people who demonstrate in English) portrayed as being, at best, unconscious, at worst, hypocritical.
It’s a bit short.
Towards serenity
Faced with the more tender treatment reserved for a later demonstration of nationalist baby boomers (Pierre Curzi, Johanne-Marie Tremblay), we can guess that Denys Arcand shares the latter’s dismay. Whether we feel it ourselves or not, this helplessness is moving.
And then, at this stage, the tenor of the discourse has been transformed for a long time: as if defensive at the beginning, the film displays a kind of letting go as the denouement approaches.
In the same way, Jean-Michel’s quiet resignation has given way to a luminous serenity. Because beyond political-cultural quarrels, the possibility of love remains. In this regard, if his film is certain not to please everyone, we cannot however accuse Denys Arcand of being cynical.
Apparently mismatched, Suzanne and Jean-Michel are in reality well matched: he is losing his bearings, and she is losing control. And as the film suggests, it’s ultimately not any worse that way.
The film Will releases October 5