JUST TO BE SURE
****
Director: Carine Tardieu
Screenwriters: Carine Tardieu, Michel Leclerc and Raphaële Moussafir, in collaboration with Baya Kasmi.
Principal Cast:
Cécile De France
François Damiens
André Wilms
Alice de Lencquesaing
Guy Marchand
Country: France/Belgium
Classification: M
Runtime: 100 mins
Australian Release Date: 26 December 2017
Previewed at: Palace Central, Sydney, on 29 November 2017.
Described in some quarters as the breakout favourite comedy of the 2017 Cannes Film festival, where it premiered to a standing ovation, Carine Tardieu’s Just To be Sure (Ôtez-moi d'un doute) is a delight. Featuring two of France’s most celebrated actors, it delivers a tender heart-warming tale that is a great ‘feel good’ addition to this year’s holiday movie slate.
Erwan Gourmelon (François Damiens) is a munitions clearing expert - yes, they still exist along the coast of Belgium and France, clearing remnants of the two World Wars - when he discovers that the man who raised him is not his biological father. Quel horreur! He hires a private detective (the delightfully matter-of-fact Brigitte Roüan) to find his real dad and, lo and behold, the reclusive parent is found not far from where Erwan resides… or so it seems. The man, the now retired geriatric Joseph Levkine (André Wilms), had a one night stand with Erwan’s mother many years ago and Erwan is desperate to find out the truth to show how important heritage is because his daughter, Juliette (Alice de Lencquesaing), is about to have a baby and refuses to reveal the biological father. In the meantime, Erwan meets the charismatic Anna (Cécile De France), who’s caring for Joseph, and he finds himself falling for her but, of course, there’s a problem. “True love never runs smooth, that’s what they say,” as the old song goes, and Tardieu’s absorbing tale of parenthood, love and family, subsequently takes its audience on an emotional journey with many twists and turns that manage to be both endearing and funny.
Damiens and De France are terrific as the mature couple who have been around the block a few times before, still hoping to find happiness with a loving partner. The pair plays the kind of roles that the French film industry excels at but which are largely ignored in Hollywood scripts. Here the writers have devoted time to people who are all around us but are rarely seen on screen and it pays off in spades. Just To Be Sure is bound to be a hit over the festive season in Australia. It was well received at this year’s French Film Festival and is currently having numerous ‘sneak’ screenings ahead of its official opening on Boxing Day. You won’t want to miss this film if you’re looking for an unusual tale carried by a superb cast that once again shows why French cinema is so popular with audiences here. Magnifique!
Screenwriters: Carine Tardieu, Michel Leclerc and Raphaële Moussafir, in collaboration with Baya Kasmi.
Principal Cast:
Cécile De France
François Damiens
André Wilms
Alice de Lencquesaing
Guy Marchand
Country: France/Belgium
Classification: M
Runtime: 100 mins
Australian Release Date: 26 December 2017
Previewed at: Palace Central, Sydney, on 29 November 2017.
Described in some quarters as the breakout favourite comedy of the 2017 Cannes Film festival, where it premiered to a standing ovation, Carine Tardieu’s Just To be Sure (Ôtez-moi d'un doute) is a delight. Featuring two of France’s most celebrated actors, it delivers a tender heart-warming tale that is a great ‘feel good’ addition to this year’s holiday movie slate.
Erwan Gourmelon (François Damiens) is a munitions clearing expert - yes, they still exist along the coast of Belgium and France, clearing remnants of the two World Wars - when he discovers that the man who raised him is not his biological father. Quel horreur! He hires a private detective (the delightfully matter-of-fact Brigitte Roüan) to find his real dad and, lo and behold, the reclusive parent is found not far from where Erwan resides… or so it seems. The man, the now retired geriatric Joseph Levkine (André Wilms), had a one night stand with Erwan’s mother many years ago and Erwan is desperate to find out the truth to show how important heritage is because his daughter, Juliette (Alice de Lencquesaing), is about to have a baby and refuses to reveal the biological father. In the meantime, Erwan meets the charismatic Anna (Cécile De France), who’s caring for Joseph, and he finds himself falling for her but, of course, there’s a problem. “True love never runs smooth, that’s what they say,” as the old song goes, and Tardieu’s absorbing tale of parenthood, love and family, subsequently takes its audience on an emotional journey with many twists and turns that manage to be both endearing and funny.
Damiens and De France are terrific as the mature couple who have been around the block a few times before, still hoping to find happiness with a loving partner. The pair plays the kind of roles that the French film industry excels at but which are largely ignored in Hollywood scripts. Here the writers have devoted time to people who are all around us but are rarely seen on screen and it pays off in spades. Just To Be Sure is bound to be a hit over the festive season in Australia. It was well received at this year’s French Film Festival and is currently having numerous ‘sneak’ screenings ahead of its official opening on Boxing Day. You won’t want to miss this film if you’re looking for an unusual tale carried by a superb cast that once again shows why French cinema is so popular with audiences here. Magnifique!