THE FINISHERS/ DE TOUTES NOS FORCES
France, 2013, 86 minutes, Colour.
Jacques Gamblin, Alexandra Lamy, Fabien Heraud, Sophie de Furst, Pablo Pauly, Xavier Matthieu.
Directed by Nils Tavernier.
The Finishers, with its stronger title in French focusing on all our strength, is a very sympathetic film, heartwarming and encouraging.
The setting is the city of Nice and its mountainous hinterland. The focus is on a family, mother and father absent for long years at work, a daughter and a son. The son as a teenager but is confined to a wheelchair, quite disabled.
The film opens with a crowd of men gathering for the Iron Man competition of Nice. Amongst them, sitting, is a Julian, the son. The film then goes into flashback, setting up the family and the characters, the return of the father, his past inability to deal with his sons disabled situation, somewhat aloof from the rest of the family.
Julianne (Fabien Heraud in his only film) works on his computer, shares life with some other friends, disabled, but wants to participate with his father in the Iron Man competition. The father is quite unwilling, memories of his own success in the past. Julian’s application is refused but he and his friend meet the board and get acceptance.
There are scenes of training, father and son bonding gradually, and, of course, the competition itself.
A film of hope written and directed by Nils Tavernier, son of Dir Bert try and Tavernier, who is to collaborate with actor Jacques Gamblin in An Ideal Palace, the story of the postman who for over 30 years gradually built up his palace in the French countryside during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
1. The title? The competition, determination? The nuances of the French title, all our strength?
2. The settings, the south of France, the town, the city of Nice, the mountains and roads, the sea? The musical score?
3. The opening, everybody assembling for the Iron Man competition? The numbers, the focusing on Julien sitting down? His eagerness?
4. The film as flashback? The home situation? The mother, her care, patients? Her daughter and her personality, helping, encouraging Julien? Julien, his disability, his age, life at home, in the wheelchair, at the computer? His friends and sharing with them, disabled?
5. The absent father, his return from his work after several years? Not having a job? Avoiding closeness with the family? Working in the garage? His past, devotion, the iron man photo? His distance from his son?
6. Julien, the Iron Man competition, wanting to participate, his mother’s reaction, fathers? His going with his friend, the refusal, pleading his case, acceptance?
7. The father, gradually persuaded, the details of the training, swimming, cycling, with Julien in the sidecar? Becoming more and more proficient? Overcoming difficulties?
8. The bonding between father and son, sharing, the father acknowledging his son situation, experience of joy? Support of the mother and sister? Friends?
9. Ready for the race, the film’s attention to the detail of the competition, the father and his swimming, cycling, running? Julien in the carriage, encouraging, his father unable to carry on, the plea, continuing, crossing the line?
10. A heartfelt theme, family relationships, father and son, shared experiences, and finishing with all their strength?
