A Tiempo Completo

I had an overwhelming feeling of watching a Ken Loach film with subtitles, but better photographed and with more interesting music. A hard-working single mother is faced with an unrelenting series of dramas and setbacks. Unlike Ken Loach nobody has to die to wrap up the story.

Éric Gravel's "Full Time" is a well-crafted film that follows a single mother, Julie (Laure Calamy), as she tries to make ends meet in a society that seems stacked against her. The movie has a fast-paced feel reminiscent of "Run Lola Run," while also offering a story that viewers can relate to on a personal level. Julie's job as the head chambermaid of a hotel is not ideal, and she's determined to land a better job at a marketing firm. However, with a citywide transit strike and her dependence on public transportation, she faces challenges in reaching her interview on time.

The film's technical aspects, such as Mathilde Van de Moortel's editing and Irene Dresel's score, add to the tension and keep viewers on edge. Julie's determination to better herself is admirable, but the film does not shy away from showing her flaws. Although the movie lacks a strong statement about the strike and organized labor, it is an intelligent and engaging story about a familiar struggle. Gravel's film blends tension and humanism to create an impactful experience.

Two years after this film was released, it is more relevant than ever. Increased prices for food, heating, petrol and public services have taken off in Europe over the past year. Many feel enormous pressure. Especially those in low-wage jobs, like the main character in this poignant social drama that unfolds in Paris. Rarely have I seen a film that gets the message across to such an extent. Social drama yes, but the pace of the lead actor almost takes your breath away. Time is of the essence here. And to make both the money last, in a world where being poor makes them incredibly vulnerable and with very little to go on before the disaster is a fact. If so, this film is a wake-up call. Because it gives an insight into how many people live now. Gripping and topical film that I highly recommend. Thank you and praise that films of this format are still being made. Eye-opening film.

What a movie. Well directed; well acted; it never stops; and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Any working parent will get this film and any single working parent will relate to the decisions and life choices this incredibly hard working mum has to make each day and each minute.

If anyone says Hollywood does thrillers and dramas, come and watch a story without car chases, without explosions, just the drama and emotion of real life.

This is remarkable film that will feel utterly familiar to any parent with young children and quite unrelatable to anyone else. Perhaps even more familiar if you're a single parent with a dead-end job struggling to stay off welfare and keep your kids.

The backdrop is France, and specifically Paris, during a time of chaos as worker's strike. This rather echoes the current industrial action paralyzing the UK and forcing the working poor closer to the edge. If you can't work from home then this action is a dagger to the heart forcing you to run, run, run for dear life.

In "Full Time" that's Julie's world in a nutshell. To the backdrop of an insistent soundtrack that raises the tension to a high pitch she's constantly rushing from one crisis to another. Stress, fear and worry are etched into her features as she tries to avoid letting anyone down as the world conspires against her.

This is so utterly "not Hollywood" with no particular story arc, character development or artful dialog - instead it just "is" and we are voyeurs to a life slowly falling to pieces. Step by step Julie edges closer to the precipice. It's impossible to look away but deeply uncomfortable at the same time.

I guess this means that "Full Time" won't appeal to every audience but my oh my you should make the effort to catch it while you can. If you're looking for more than just pure escapism this is a film that captures a miniature of life in compelling detail.