ROSALIE BLUM

France, 2016, 95 minutes, Colour.
Noemie Lvovsky, Kyan Khojandi, Alice Isaaz, Anemone, Philippe Rebbot, Sarah Girardeau, Camille Rutherford, Nicolas Bridet.
Directed by Julien Rappenneau.

This is a comparatively brief film, about a selection of ordinary people, people who might be considered as missing out on life, living in the city of Nevers. But, it is a joy to watch, a film that could be described as nice in its feelgood effect for the audience. It is practically perfect in its way.

And who is Rosalie Blum? She owns a fruit and grocery store in Nevers and sells a can of crabmeat to Vincent Machot, a 30-something hairdresser, working in a daily routine in a business that he inherited from his father. Vincent has a dominating mother (something of an understatement) who lives in the unit above him, tapping on his ceiling each morning to let him know that she is there and his realising what he will have to do for her that day. Vincent lives are very ordered life, allegedly with a girlfriend but she has moved to Paris six months earlier and keeps cancelling meeting up. His cousin, his best friend, is a philanderer, always wanting Vincent to stand up to his mother.

The film is in three parts, the first part focusing on Vincent himself, the second on a young woman called Aude, the third part on Rosalie herself. By the end of the first part, we have got to know Vincent rather well, quite a sympathetic man in himself, but rather timid, self-contained, bullied by his mother upstairs with her range of dolls and toys and re-enacting fantasy scenarios from her imagination. Vincent has been stirred by Rosalie and that chance meeting, thinking that he had met her before, and then taking up following her, the audience complicit with him as we too want to know more about Rosalie. So, by the end of the first part, we have enjoyed a film that is tres amusant, tres Francais. It gets better.

Aude is 25-year-old who, by her own confession, is lazy, preferring to do nothing but being urged to get a job labelling bottles in he factory, sharing her life with two friends, Cecile and Laura, and sharing an apartment with an extraordinary eccentric showman, Roomies (and seeing his dog, Miranda, whom he wants to perform as a lion is very amusing). Aude does not have much prospect for life, alienated from her mother, a good amateur photographer but having opted out of further education. It won’t spoil anything for the viewer, but it emerges that she is Rosalie’s niece.

As this second part moves on, the film becomes even more enjoyable, one might say deliciously so, as we get the opportunity to look at events and at Vincent from Rosalie’s and Aude’s point of view, revisiting some of the episodes we have already seen – which makes very entertaining re--viewing.

Which means that the third part, focusing on Rosalie herself, offers some kind of revelation – but, better to go and see it all rather than read or hear about it from someone else.

As the film progresses, every seemingly loose thread is connected in a very satisfying way, a happy ending that we weren’t anticipating, another episode that we might have been anticipating but is treated with prudence – and, just as those around sense words coming up on the screen and limber up to exit the cinema and final credits, there is a very good epilogue which ties some further ends together, again not as we might have anticipated.

So, Rosalie Blum herself and the film called by her name is continually surprising.

It will be a pleasing experience to see the film again.

1. A very entertaining film? Pleasingly humane?

2. The French atmosphere, the characters, the situations? Based on graphic novels? The musical score?

3. The title, the focus on Rosalie, observing her, then getting to know her, revelations about her truth? The strength of the cast and their performances – and audiences attracted to them and interested in them?

4. The structure of the film: the three parts, the three different points of focus, audience identifying with each, the initial curiosity, the changing perspectives? The variety of threads – and their all being linked, even to the epilogue?

5. Victor’s story: his age, his appearance, ordinary, bald, bearded? The opening with the cat, the companionship of the cat? Lonely, his mother knocking on the ceiling? Her attitude towards him, the continued attacks and ridicule, his obeying her, looking after her? The story of Marianne, going to Paris, six months away, her cancelling meetings? His routines, waking up, breakfast, cycling, opening the shop, inherited from his father, the range of clients, his work, the gossip? His friendship with his cousin, their discussions, his cousin urging him to date, trying to make arrangements? Victor saying no?

6. Victor’s mother, her appearance, all the dolls, living upstairs, alone, her performances in make-believe, always remarking that she was not crazy? Her demands, her manipulation of her son?

7. Victor, cycling to the shop, encountering Rosalie, buying the crabmeat, forgetting the lemons? His looking, his sense of déjà vu? The attraction, the details of his following Rosalie, in the streets, near the shop, her home, at the bar, the accident with the girl, the men trying to set him up, the bag from the bike, the choir practices, Victor’s phone going off, the census phone call, his stealing her rubbish, reading the letters to Thomas, seeing her go to the prison, the satanic ritual in the woods, crocodile, his running away? His mother complaining about the thieves and the peeing on the floor? His shock at Rosalie making a booking for her hair?

8. Aude, her story, age 25, lonely, good photography, saying she was lazy, the job applications, labelling bottles? Alienation from her mother? The friendship with Cecile and Laura, their rap songs, their attitude towards life, Cecile and her continued pessimism? The revelation that Aude was Rosalie’s niece? Rosalie inviting her out, their discussions about Aude’s mother, what she was like in the past?

9. Rosalie, aware of Victor following her, not wanting to go to the police, her being intrigued, proposing that Aude should follow Victor? Cecile and Laura finding out? Laura and her wanting to be a detective, the phones, the codes…?

10. The effect on Aude, interest in Victor, the puzzle? The audience seeing the various episodes but from Aude’s point of view, especially the accident in the restaurant, the recreation of the satanic ritual, her finding Victor’s cap and later returning it? Going to Victor’s mother’s, Laura on the phone for the statistics, getting in, finding the mother, pursued by her, Laura peeing on the floor, the group laughing?

11. Reporting back to Rosalie? The effect on Aude? Making the booking for the hairstyling?

12. Rosalie as the focus of the third part of the film, getting her hair done, Victor and his puzzle, her deciding to tantalise him by appearing in the street, his eventually speaking to her?

13. Aude, her curiosity, asking her father for the truth about Rosalie, the story of her youth, the robbery, the bad company, going to jail? The birth of Thomas, adopting him out? Knowing where he was but never seeing him?

14. Aude, the attraction to Victor, visiting him, the discussions, explanations – Victor’s mother seeing her and shouting that she was one of the thieves?

15. Aude and the attraction to Victor? The audience expecting him to be attracted to Rosalie? Aude showing him the pictures, her portfolio for the application to school after Rosalie had obtained it? The portfolio of the stories of her following Victor? Cecile and Laura and the happy explanations?

16. The decision to go away to the beach, for Rosalie to see the sea? The lyrical ending with Victor and Aude? Rosalie, the decision to find her son, the audiences thinking that he was in prison but her revelation that she went to prison to help the women there? Seeing Thomas in the street, going to the door, not knocking, leaving the letter for him and walking away?

17. The unexpected epilogue, Victor at 10, the meal, his father, his mother and her severity and tearing up his drawing, his being upset, traumatised – and the image on the television of Rosalie being taken to jai? The reality of the déjà vu?

18. A satisfying film in plotting, performance, different perspectives and the tying up of threads?