Opération 118 318 sévices clients

After hitting stop on the DVD player my brains were briefly on pause : What ? A French comedy that is actually DIFFERENT, CREATIVE, and SMART ? That could have a message, yet not exist for the message, lots of fun, new faces, talent and wisdom at the same time ? That could - almost - be universal ? Yes, 118318 is all that. Sure it helps to understand French, and some of the specifics of French society, but this could happen anywhere. Everywhere in the world, you get call centers. Everywhere, the job is looked down on, no one wants to take it, someone has to do it. And those call center reps are mere paws in a globalization game no one controls. I liked this comedy, it is human, unpretentious, but achieves much more than bigger productions.

Saw this just by chance when I traveled to Paris. Seems the French have the same problems with call centers as we do here in Germany - but in the end, which "developed", consumer society does not ? Although unpretentious, this film has many interesting ideas and avoid being just a series of loosely connected "office humor" scenes. There was some solid thinking when this was written, directed to humanism, the reflection of a socially and culturally mixed society in the workplace, globalization, and management. You don't laugh out loud, but you exit the theater with a smile on your face knowing that you have learned things and spent a good time.

Every once in a while I try to watch a French film, based on recommendations from my friends there. Helps me practice the language, and man, we do need to watch something else than the usual Hollywood film at times. On my last trip to Paris i got my hands on this DVD, and I must say I liked it. It's creative (a comedy about call centers), funny, different, well-acted, well-thought. Sure this is not a landmark of the history of film, but it's with this kind of films that cinema remains a popular art. Wonder what it could have been with a bigger, Hollywood-sized budget. It would probably have been a hit. But I guess clever producers must have found out about his hidden gem and collected more than a few ideas there for their future works.

I didn't expect much when my french friend handed me his DVD of 118 318. First, I have never been too enthusiastic about french comedies, or any foreign comedy for that matter (apart from the Monty Python of course), then, my French was a bit rusty. But I gave it a view because I was intrigued by the plot : how can we make an hour and a half long film out of the Outsourced ? And using a different - but not less exotic - setting, that is, rural France ? I was not disappointed, because humor blends in well with the message : globalization is everywhere, and you might never know what who picks up your call at the end of the line. The film shows the funny side of this call center industry, and a human side as well. Quite a few laughs, kudos for the actors - i love Booder and will be watching him. Expecting Will Smith to remake this anytime soon...

Is it still possible to create something in a comedy about call centers after the multiple award-winning, and hugely likable Slumdog Millionaire ?

The answer brought by 118318 is yes. First by centering the story on the call center itself, whereas it was just an episode in Slumdog. True, you could also mention "The Other End of The Line" which is more extensively about call centers. But this film is no romance.

So then comes the second idea : locating the outsourced call center in a much closer, although not less exotic location than India. The call center in 118318 (the 118XXX numbers are used in France by phone-directory services, notorious for their far-less-than-professional quality due to the outsourcing of the call centers in terrible countries) is not in India, in the Philippines, nor in their equivalents for the French customer in northern Africa, the call center is here located in rural France - although other world locations will be seen as the story unfolds, but I won't spoil it. And even in rural France, the reps can be slackers. Maybe even more so.

Such slackers that the call center will need a full-scale, last-hope mission to be saved. The local MP who needs the jobs to stay there so he can be re-elected will therefore ask his good friend working for the top, national level government offices to come and rescue the business. Needless to say, this exquisitely trained intellectual (Polivennes) know nuts about call centers, the countryside, and even human relations. He will therefore need time before he can consider the ideas of the low-ranking but inventive and much more down-to-earth rank-and-file within the company. Idea number three : the social satire. Which is the aspect that made me personally laugh the most.

This film without using jargon or getting too technical reveals more, much more than you would initially imagine about the call center business, but also about human relations within a beleaguered company. Although some situations and gags are not new, although the lack of budget is sometimes obvious, the film kept me interested and smiling all along. Acting is definitely decent, and everybody in this film seems to be having a good time making it : the viewer can feel it.

For all its interesting ideas, I believe an American remake of the film would be a success, not only in theaters, but also in management training sessions.