ASPHALTE/ MACADAM STORIES

France, 2015, 100 minutes, Colour.

Isabelle Huppert, Gustave Kervern, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Tassadit Mandi, Jules Benchetrit, Michael Pitt.

Directed by Samuel Benchetrit.

This is a very personal film by its writer-director, Samuel Bent to treat, using some of his stories from his 2005 collection of short stories, Debut des Chroniques de l’Asphalte. This is a story of French suburbs, drab in appearances, old, sometimes crumbling, lifts not working… But, behind the surfaces, the potential for friendships, and, in this film, some very unlikely friendships.

The film has a very strong cast of veteran French actors as well as American Michael Pitt and the director’s son, Jules, as an aspiring actor.

The more familiar story is that of the ageing actress who has fallen on hard times, no work, living alone, but befriended by the young aspiring actor on the same floor of the apartment block. And, she is played so well by Isabelle Huppert (who has definitely not suffered the same fate in her own career).

There is the pathos of the story of a wheelchair bound man, Gustave Kerven, attracted by a woman on the same floor, Valeria Bruni to destiny, and their relationship.

There is also an unlikely story of an astronaut who has fallen from the sky onto the roof of the building and who is cared for by one of the tenants. Michael Pitt is the astronaut. Tassadit Mandi is the sympathetic woman.

Humane, often endearing, often irritating, often provocative.

1. The title, asphalt and the streets, the city streets, the neighbourhood, run down, the apartment blocks, the interiors, staircases, elevators? The hospital? The city views, the roof? And the looking to the sky – and space? The musical score?
2. The focus on people in the apartment block? Downstairs, the store, Dede and his friends, deals? Sterkowitz on the first floor, the others upstairs? Charlie living with his mother? Jeanne and her moving in? Madame Amida and her son in prison?
3. The images of the sky, the sequences in the spacecraft, John and his presence, the exercise? The group looking at the sky, the space landing, on the roof of the building? John Emerging? Bewildered? NASA and the contact, his having to wait two days? The satire on the ineffectiveness of NASA and communications, tracking devices, using the ordinary phone? Finally sending a helicopter?
4. Sterkowitz and his story, his age, the community meeting about the elevator, the decision to buy the new one, to forbid Sterkowitz using it, his agreeing? In his apartment, buying the exercise bike, his collapse, to hospital, his condition, return in the wheelchair? The irony of the staircase, his timing the usages of the elevator, moving out at night, to the hospital, to get food? Meeting the nurse, the break, working during the night, the smoke? The conversations, increasing night by night, her not being married, not having any story, Dowdy and her appearance? Sterkowitz and the attraction, building up the story about his being a photographer, finding his mother’s camera, taking photos from the television, building up his album, showing it to the nurse? The talk about travel? His asking to photograph her? His being caught in the lift, missing the meeting? Getting out of the wheelchair, stumbling and walking, the final encounter, telling the truth, taking the photographs? The future?
5. John, meeting Madame Amida, not speaking French, not speaking English? Her welcoming him, food, couscous, letting him use the phone, her son’s room, his clothes? John feeling more at home, the meals, the talk, sharing songs, sleeping? The bond between the two? His finally leaving? The back story of Madame, her son in prison and her visits, her watching soap opera, John knowing the stories and telling her what happened, her disillusionment? A pleasing story of friendship?
6. Charlie, his friends, going to school, his lifestyle? The encounter with Jeanne, her being locked out, getting Dede to open the door, the lift doors stuck and his kicking them? Discussions with Jeanne, her room, not unpacking, her story being an actress, finding the VHS, watching the film, Woman Without Arms (and actual sequences from Isabelle Huppert’s The Lace maker)? The photos? Her moods, the friendship? The discussions about the audition, Charlie encouraging her, her drinking, collapse on return, his caring for her? Reading the play, the discussions about rehearsals, wanting the younger role, urging her to the older role, the interpretation of a gripping Agrippina? Her getting some confidence?
7. Small portrait of a cross-section of ordinary people?