EN EQUILIBRE
France, 2015, 87 minutes, Colour.
Albert Dupontel, Cecile De France, Patrick Mille, Carole Franck.
Directed by Dennis Dercort.
This is a film about a horseman, trainer of horses but also a stunt rider for films. The audience sees his skills at the opening as well as in flashbacks and the insurance company looking at the footage of the stunts and the accident. He is now paraplegic, somewhat embittered, yet wanting to ride his horse, relying on his young assistant for help.
The other central character is an insurance investigator, visiting the horsemen, being rejected by him, yet their being attracted, his getting her to ride a horse, drive with him at high speed, which leads to a sexual encounter.
However, the insurance investigator has a family, is sympathetic to her client, is withdrawn from the case by the rather hard-headed head of the insurance company and his associates. In the past, she had played the piano but had given it up and, experiencing the horsemen and his determination, she revisits her piano teacher and begins to play again.
She refers her client to a friend who is a lawyer, supplying taped material, enabling the horsemen to get a much better deal from the insurance company.
The film ends rather openly, the horsemen and his success at a show, the investigator with her family and playing the piano.
Albert Dupontel has some severe moments as well as some tenderness as the horsemen. Cecile de France gives yet another striking performance as the insurance investigator.
1. The title? The rider and his skills, stunt work, accident? Paraplegia? And the emotional plot and balance and imbalance?
2. The setting, the property and training courses, the beach? The house? The contrast with insurance offices? Legal consultations? Hospital? The final horse show? The musical score?
3. Marc and his story, riding along the beach, his stunt work, his bond with his horse, Othello? The transition to his being in the wheelchair? The explanation, his work on the film, the scenes of the film, the stunts, safety, his fall, injuring his legs? At home, family and friends, the touches of bitterness? His wanting to ride his horse again, his assistant, being lifted up, onto the horse, his fall, further injury, further visit to hospital? His determination? Training the horse, working with his assistant, training him? The attempts at riding again?
4. Florence, working for insurance, her background, husband and his work, daughter and the playing of the piano? Florence guiding her? The gradual revelation of her talents in the past, her going to the recital, talking with the piano teacher, further practice, her determination?
5. Florence visiting Marc, his resentments, her presentation of the conditions? Objective, the touch of threat? Conditions, clauses, the role of the production company, German rather than French? Marc not persuaded? Her return visits and conversations? Seeing the horse, being forced to get on the horse, her fears, the riding, Marc’s guidance, her enjoying it? The issue of cars, driving, his feeding, overtaking – and is declaring that she was in fact thrilled?
6. The insurance company, the head, the other workers, working for the company rather than clients? Discussions, conditions, the reliance on the woman and her seductive approach to clients? Her sympathy for Marc? Being taken off the case?
7. Florence and her visits, the attraction to Marc, the kiss, the sexual encounter?
8. Florence being taken off the case, her resigning? Her advising Marc to go to her lawyer friend, supplying the information, even though it was technically illegal? The hard-headed lawyer and her success with the case?
9. Florence, her husband, his coming with the delivery of the bike, the conversation?
10. The year passing? Florence not going back to Marc? Staying with her family? Her determination with piano, practice, performance? Suddenly seeing Marc on the television, his performance at the show, his skills? The fact that he had overcome his full backs? That she was working on overcoming her drawbacks – and the film ending?
