Une année difficile

Skipped the local Climate Action group meeting and went to see "A Difficult Year" at TIFF a few days ago and had the reality of our ongoing Climate catastrophe and mad overconsumption served up to me with subtitles, French style and wit. Directed by the makers of film "The Intouchables" it looks beautiful and has a fabulous kinetic energy and has enough surprises and twists in its storytelling to keep you pleasantly off-balance. The story revolves around two charming conniving overconsuming scoundrels played by Jonathan Cohen ('temporarily' Lexo) and Pio Marmai (Pumpkin) who have wonderful chemistry together as they become unlikely chums. They get drawn into joining the Climate movement and into increasingly radical actions by the alluring beauty and charm of one of the leaders played by Noemie Merlant (Cactus). There is a cartoonish aspect to the depiction of over consumption and the possible ways out of debt but the passion and commitment of the climate activist group is presented in a positive light as one experiences how their sense of community and shared purpose helps them live with Eco-anxiety which is one of the film's themes. A Difficult Year sheds light on an existential crisis yet it is able to be funny with a good heart and its ending is surely inspired by activist Emma Goldman's famous line: "if I can't dance, I don't want your revolution"

The Black Friday gives the opportunity to 2 men ( full of debts ) and 1 woman ( climate activist) to meet and fight or join forces . For diverse (opposite?) reasons , they join forces in the activist group of Cactus ( the woman) and learn to better know each other . This movie is bringing a sweet and funny light on many concerns of our time : eco anxiety , sobriety and its multiple interpretations, the strange reasons why people would become associates , the power of collective actions , and ultimately the superiority of fundamental needs ( such as eating , loving and dancing ) above ideas. A shoot of energy in a depressed world.

Well best friend forever ... but there is another f there ... ah yes I got it: Best french friend forever ... this being a french movie ... it works ... I kid, I kid (sort of), so no pun intended. The movie begins with people protesting and one individual in particular not being too amused by them blocking the way to what he needed to get (where is Arnold when you need him ... if you've seen the movie I am referencing you'll understand, but it doesn't really matter).

But this is almost a side note: yes this is against commercialism and against whatever banks and other institutions do to us as a society. But it also is a bit too silly for its own good. When our main characters get into a building (under false pretenses), the way the other interact with them ... and how easily they are being fooled. .. it just hurts watching it ... way over the top.

Suspend your disbelief and go with the flow if possible ... and believe into the message ... maybe.

Interesting premise - combine eco-activism with a debt situation, since both are due to overconsumption.

Two guys without jobs and in debt find their selves while bluffing their way into eco activist group. There is a girl that both of them are interested in. She maybe later becomes interested back. There is a crisis, and a redemption, and a shock. Cliches so far, not a problem in itself...

But it feels like move added no additional depth to this, barely a summary, that I've written. That screenwriters went from this, to final product, too fast. Why did they end up debt, why the romantic theme?

We don't learn not much about global eco or economical situation. We do see that they are all just people and it seems that their cause is futile, since no impact is ever shown. Support groups for people in debt are shown so I became aware that they exist, nice.

Handheld cam, fast cuts, annoying overhyping music don't help the movie. Some jokes are funny, many of them just too basic or repetitive. The two main heroes are not particulary interesting. Half an hour too long.

Great opening, though!

This film is mildly amusing, it allowed me to snooze part of it without getting the feeling I missed much. Without knowing anything about it, when the main actress showed up at the start, I knew she was some kind of activist...But what I loved very much was soon to follow... Brel was singing "La Valse a Mille Temps" (1000 beats waltz, is my best translation for it!) But its words are powerful, as usual, and quite appropriate for the moment.

Then, comes the end. And Jaques restarts his song.

Next, some guy sing one of his songs, known in English as "If you go away" . And why oh why; He sings it in French and He can't even sing it properly in French.

"Ne me quittté pas, Ne me quitté pas."! Only French speaking people would understand it anyway. I think only a small percentage of them would attend a session in a foreign country, as for the rest of the audience, they would not have a clue what the song is about or how it was supposed to sound; So why couldn't they use J Brel again to sing it?

Here in Sydney, a few years back John Water did a very good job singing his songs as a tribute to him. It then was relevant not to be perfect but the best he could do. But in this mediocre movie it was a 'tragedy'!

Yes, a Very difficult movie Ha ha ha!