De bon matin

It could not have come at a better time ,this tale of harassment :harassment has always existed ,but it has almost been a taboo subject.Whatever the race or creed or sexual orientation ,harassment knows no limits ,no sex or class ...Many people have been subject to it , in their schools , barracks, factories or ..offices .

Bank executives are not spared ,particularly when they are getting old and when their boss has a young protegee who has his sights fixed high. The boss is condescending ,and his looks kill: he always use the familiar "Tu " whereas his victim insists he should use the polite "Vous".This nuance,which does not exist in the English language ,is crucial to feel Paul's humiliation.Humiliation leads to despair , rebellion and tragedy .But one individual struggling against the boss can't hope to win when many of his colleagues are resigned to their fate :his so called friend keeps on repeating "what can we do?" and Clarisse,who has just been unfairly fired, does not even want to fight against her employer : more,she despises Paul ,who tries to help him ,because she unconsciously knows that there's no place for an honest man in a place where brother will turn on brother.

The film begins with the ominous notes of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and is a long flashback ;even if it does not always avoid clichés (the hero's son) , Darroussin makes it all worthwhile, he is one of the best contemporary French actors , as brilliant portraying a fallen executive as playing a generous working-class man in "Les Neiges Du Kilimandjaro"

Opening with the shooting by a colleague of two of his managers, this powerful movie is tightly made, doesn't waste a single frame and has excellent acting on the part of Jean-Pierre Darroussin and also the supporting cast. Made without music, the film relies on this excellent acting (and the associated script and, for those non-french speakers amongst us, very good and natural sub-titles) to set and carry through the mood.

This is the film that prompted me to join IMDB so I could recommend it to others. Its that good. A must watch!

Nobody can deny that most films are made for local audiences by keeping ideas,audiences' sensibilities and tastes which have a strong bearing on a specific geographic location.It can be a film about a city,region or even a nation.However,there are times when some films come with such strong content that they end up defying this very classification as their subject matter might be local but their impact is in many ways global as well as universal.By directing 'Un Bon Matin',French director Jean-Marc Moutout has made one such film which questions the unethical work environment in banking sector which pushes a French executive to exterminate his harasser. De Bon Matin is effective on a global level as it depicts corrupt banking practices which can be found in any nation with a banking system.One gets to see corrupt officials,workers with cowardice marked on their faces and even some management puppets who make futile efforts to influence honest executives.As the film progresses, it is clear that it is not merely the killing of a man by another man which is questioned but there is a constant interrogation of slaying of beliefs,emotions and ideas.This film is very relevant to contemporary French society which has witnessed many suicides by office executives in recent past.Lastly,actor Jean-Pierre Darroussin adds one more successful acting lesson in his role book with his portrayal of a lonely man who chose violence as the ultimate solution as he did not receive any solace in his times of grief from people who knew him well.