L'Atelier

The movie gives attention to the small details to the things that dont cross your mind the final writing of Antoine says a lot about life . it is the still scene we always living in convert everything from its beauty to boredom .

The acting so good . the writing is so good and escaped successfully from being boring movie talk about life to movie makes you think a lot about things .

It's oh so French and whilst I'm a real Francophile it really doesn't go anywhere and ends very slowly. That said, it's atmospheric and at least reminded me of the huge difference in the French and British psyche when it comes to all forms of art.

Vive la différence.

This French language film is a slow-paced, introspective, social and psychological study.

A group of young adults, all largely unlikeable for the most part, are brought together on a creative writing course as part of a social project. Their tutor/mentor is a middle aged, middle class female author from Paris who seemingly has not much in common with them.

She is charged with inspiring the group to write a novel - a crime thriller - as a way of developing their character, confidence and self worth. The setting is a French coastal town that has perhaps seen better days, its past industrial shipbuilding prowess now just a memory.

Arguments among the group are quick to surface, and are mainly based on race, politics and prospects. The film clearly sets out to use these group conflicts to raise French cultural issues, and while that is perfectly legitimate it does seem at times that these arguments surface without a great deal of provocation or resolution.

As the group dynamics develop, the film focuses on the relationship between the teacher, Olivia, and one particularly troubled young man, Antoine. Dabbling in far right politics and militia, he appears to have issues with isolation and violence and is evermore on the fringes of the group.

Olivia and Antoine become more intensely interested in each other, and the film does a very good job of keeping us guessing where their relationship is headed. There are sexual tensions, threats of violence and mutual (unhealthy) intrigue building between them in equal measure as the film progresses, and this adds a dose of intensity and drama into what otherwise is a fairly uneventful social study.

Overall, this is a well made though somewhat flat study of political and cultural issues in France, lightly exploring things such as race, immigration, the far right, liberalism and de-industrialisation. The film is lifted by the psychological drama between troubled Antoine and articulate Olivia, but for the most part remains a passable social commentary that raises some interesting cultural questions - in particular the prospects for young adults who may feel out of touch with an ever changing France.

Very much a film for those who like to think about political and social concerns rather than feast on fast paced action.

Laurent Canter, the director, is mainly known for "Entre les murs". The start of this movie makes us think we will watch something similar. Instead of a class of teenagers, a workshop, with young adult. However, instead of describing the relationship between the members - one of the things he does best, Laurent Cantet focuses this time on one of the workshop participant and make this movie a social thriller. That young man is indeed disturbing for everybody - and quite disturbed.

Some scenes are working well, and we cannot deny that an artist trying not to repeat itself is a good thing. However the best scenes in my opinion still are the group scenes and the combination of thriller and social movie does not intertwin always completely and are sometimes working againts each other (the thriller loosened by the social part and vice versa).

The social topics are really topical, and relevant, and addresses quite well the issues young underprivileged women and men can meet in our society. It doesn't bring answers, it shows. It makes it possible for the spectator to try the different shoes the movie's characters are. In that regard, the movie is a success.

The movie begins in a small town, at a writing course, with creating an exceptionally realistic atmosphere surrounding French youth of different backgrounds and mindsets, with the addition of a cosmopolitan writer from Paris who is their course instructor. All actors give natural and brilliant performances. Then the movie focuses more and more on one French guy with far-right associations and the instructor. Very well done character study in my opinion. The thrilling turn the second half takes surprised me and the ending satisfied me. Not a typical big screen movie but I think it would be very watchable for most viewers.