ROLLING TO YOU/TOUT LE MONDE DEBOUT
France, 2018, 105 minutes, Colour.
Frank Dubosc, Alexandra Lamy, Elsa Zylberstein, Gerard Darmon, Caroline Anglade, Claude Brasseur.
Directed by Frank Dubosc.
This is a romantic comedy written and directed by Frank Dubosc who also takes the central role. It is a variation on the romantic comedy in so far as the leading lady has had an accident and is in a wheelchair, the leading man is seen in a wheelchair and presumed disabled, falls in love, maintains the fiction.
Frank Dubosc plays the character breezily, a joker, a con man, yet a successful businessman, smitten by Florence (Alexandra Lamy), encountering her as a violinist, as a tennis player, contriving to attend her concert in Prague, taking her to dinner, falling evermore in love and unable to tell the truth. She falls in love with him.
She is an astute person and has realised the truth but leads Jocelyn on. He meanwhile tries to get advice from his business partner and his brother. The brother tells Florence’s sister who had made the first encounter with Jocelyn and told her sister. There are also problems with Jocelyn’s secretary of 12 years who feels overlooked.
There is a surprise towards the end when Lourdes is considered as the solution, Jocelyn being still unable to stand. However, there is a very sensible scene with a local priest and Jocelyn, the priest noticing his worn shoes and realising he is pretending, talking to him about pilgrimages to Lourdes and faith and warning him not to scandalise or dissolution the faithful.
The way that Jocelyn is unmasked is a surprise. And the solution, Jocelyn running in a marathon and collapsing with Florence to the rescue finishes with a nice touch.
(Some bloggers took the film very seriously and were upset by what seems to be some mockery of the disabled.)
1. Romantic comedy? With a difference? The treatment of men and women with disabilities?
2. The Paris settings, marathon training, the city scenery? Episodes in Prague and the beauty of the city? Offices, meetings, the media, opera, restaurants…? The musical score, performance, songs?
3. The introduction to Jocelyn, at the airport, his telling stories, embroidering the stories, the comic touches? Meeting Max at the airport, friend, advice, business associate?
4. Jocelyn and his brother, being late for the funeral, the long eulogy by the priest, focusing on the mother – and her glamour and style? Jocelyn later going to visit his father, the father not coming to the funeral, in the home, their talk, his father’s jokes, Jocelyn supporting him?
5. Jocelyn going through his mother’s things, sitting in the wheelchair, Juliet arriving, taken aback, her being a social carer, mentioning this to her sister, the sister’s accident, her being in a wheelchair?
6. Florence, the accident, disability, cheerful personality, talking with Julie, the information about Jocelyn, his disability? Jocelyn meeting her, the attraction? In the wheelchair? His watching her play tennis? The plans for his business, sneakers and shoes (like Kill Bill)? Sponsoring games? His office, Marie as his secretary, 12 years, feeling she was not noticed, his birthday gift, the gizmo? His sitting on the desk? Going to the tennis, his story about the wheelchair stolen?
7. Florence, the violin, the concert in Prague, Jocelyn having to sign the contract, going to the performance, in the wheelchair? Waiting for Florence, going to the restaurant, the dinner, the Italian song? To her hotel, his leaving?
8. The problems of his lie, the advice from Max, telling his brother, the return to Paris, the meal, sinking into the water, the sexual encounter, the aftermath?
9. The brother telling Julie, her talking to Florence, Florence realising the truth initially, letting Jocelyn play along? Jocelyn, his inability to tell the truth?
10. The brainwave about going to Lourdes, a cure and miracle, the group actually going? The priests, seeing Jocelyn’s used shoes, knowing he was a fake, the sensible talk about cures, rarity, the visit to Lourdes for faith and renewal of faith, urging Jocelyn not to disillusion people?
11. The aftermath, his desperation, Florence on the road, the approaching truck, Jocelyn standing and pulling her to safety?
12. The marathon, his running, collapsing, Florence coming with the chair, his sitting on the chair – and happy reconciliation?
