SYNONYMES
France, 2019, 122 minutes, Colour.
Tom Mercier, Quentin Dolmaire, Louise Chevillotte.
Directed by Nadav Lapid.
A strange film by a Jewish director, allegedly based on his own experiences in Israel and in his coming to France. In some ways it is off-putting. In some ways it is engaging. It was certainly engaging for the international jury at the 2019 Berlinale where it won the Golden Bear.
Tom Mercier, in his first film, quite an exposure of character, body and soul, plays a young man who arrives in Paris, goes to a building, finds a large empty apartment, goes to sleep in a sleeping bag, freezing, gets up to go to the bathroom, returns to find the sleeping bag gone and his being exposed, cold, racing throughout the building, trying to get help.
A young couple upstairs find him in the morning and tend to him.
The young man’s story is that he is angry with his father especially back in Israel, upset at his military service, resenting Israel itself, leaving, hoping to find some kind of future and salvation in Paris, rejecting his own language, fascinated by the French language, buying a dictionary, playing with words, their meanings and synonyms.
The two friends are supportive while he tries to get some security work, visits the Israeli Embassy which he does not want to do, tries to get jobs, answers an advertisement for some modelling which turns out to be an episode of sexual exploitation, pornographic photos. He goes from one event to another, giving over his life stories to the man who helped him and wants to be a writer, becoming more involved emotionally with the young woman who has had a promiscuous background.
So, the series of episodes, trying to find himself, a man trying to find himself in a new country, in a new culture, in a new language – eventually wanting to become a French citizen, going to classes in preparation for citizenship, with a range of men and women from other cultures, especially from Asia, professing loyalty to France and singing the Marseillaise.
An experience of much disillusionment, conflict with his benefactors – and a visit from his father which also continues the conflict. It is the kind of story which one might add: to be continued.
1. The title, language, the buying of the dictionary, consulting it, the various meanings of words?
2. The Paris settings, the streets, apartments, workplaces, the Israeli Embassy, the photo sessions, the lessons for citizenship? A perception of Paris? The musical score, the patriotic songs at the end?
3. Yoav, his arrival, desperate, in the streets, the cold, the apartment, the sleeping bag, going to the bath, its being stolen? Naked, running through the building, the appeal, nobody responding?
4. His being a soldier in Israel, the flashbacks, the treatment, antagonism with his father, leaving, not wanting to speak Hebrew, later being forced, wanting to be French?
5. Emile and Caroline, in the apartment, the morning, the search, finding Yoav in the bath, frozen? Their friendship, sharing, helping him with accommodation, his returning to visit them, perfection? Issues of sex or not? Caroline and her background, the story of her promiscuity, her playing the oboe, the performances? Emile and his wanting to write? Yoav and his telling his stories, giving them to Emile? Emile listening, the gift – and Yoav taking them back? Caroline, the relationship, the preparation for the marriage, ceremony? The clash? Caroline turning against Yoav? The nature of the friendship?
6. The security guard, his friendship, character?
7. The sequences of the Embassy, Yoav disliking going?
8. And seeing the advertisement for the photographer, the pornographic photos and the effect?
9. His desire to be naturalised, the documents, going to the lessons, the teacher, enthusiasm, the variety of those present, nationalities? Growing patriotism, singing the Marseillaies?
10. The growing tensions with Yoav? Emile organising the Father’s visit, the conversation, his rejecting his father?
11. Yoav and his hopes, becoming French – and the story based on the experiences of the director?
