UNE ANNEE DIFFICILE/A DIFFICULT YEAR

France, 2023, 120 minutes, Colour.

Pio Marmai, Jonathan Cohen, Noemie Merlant,  Mathieu Amalric.

Directed by Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano..

Audiences seeing the name of the writers-directors, Olivier Nakache, Eric Toledano, might have had high hopes, remembering their very popular film, The Inseparables, with Omar Sy and François Cluzet, the invalid and his minder, and the Omar Sy vehicle, Samba. There they showed quite an insight into human nature as well as a humorous tone.

There is some insight into human nature in this film and some humour, but not in the engaging way of their previous films.

There are two central characters, many on hard times, Albert (Pio Marmai) who works at an airport, sleeping rough there, scrounging for a living, and Bruno (Jonathan Cohen) also finding difficulty after his separation from his wife and family. On the humorous side, they find various ways in which to eke out some kind of survival, food and drink, shelter.

But, the focus of the film and the difficult year is that they encounter a protest group, led by Noemi Merlant, who is appearing in a great number of films in the 2020s, French and international. Her name is Cactus. She takes a shine to Albert and he to her – but the main thing that the two men find in attending the meetings to discuss the protests and a range tactics and manoeuvres, is that they get free meal and drink.

There are scenes of protest, contemporary climate causes, and an elaborate sequence where Albert and Bruno impersonate banking executives during the bank protest, get into their documents to manipulate their financial situation, then disguise themselves as workmen…

This is a French film so there is not an easy romantic ending. The scenario and the treatment may appeal strongly to a French sensibility – perhaps less so to those outside France.

1. Title, the initial collage of prime ministers repeating the phrase? Setting the tone? Serious, humorous, sardonic?
2. French cities, the streets and demonstrations, centres for meetings, airports, shops, banks…? Atmosphere? The musical score, songs?
3. The story of Albert and Bruno? The backgrounds, age, hard times, their friendship, mutual help? Albert the airport, stealing the contraband, selling it, financial support? Sleeping at the airport? Bruno, family, separation, his uncertainties, suicidal thoughts?
4. The relationship between the two, mutual support, the encounter with the protest group, welcoming, free meals and drink, their opportunism? The effect on them?
5. The protesters, the cause, serious, comic, the touch of satire, the meetings, the arguments, designing protests, carrying them out?
6. Cactus, her leadership, strength of mind, the interactions with Albert, the attraction? Her being a motivation for them to continue the meetings, to protest?
7. Albert and Bruno in the protest, their disguises, getting into the bank, getting the documents, altering the documents, pretending to be workers, on the balcony, the success?
8. Their unmasking, the discovery of the fraud? Unmasked with the group, with Cactus, her response?
9. Henri, his advice, the sessions, his mantras, the effect on them? His own difficulties, going to the casino, the various arguments, his gambling habit, his being ejected, disguises? Yet the seriousness of his working with Albert and Bruno?
10. Albert, the furniture, Bruno helping, carrying, selling on the black market, Cactus discovering the truth? The consequences?
11. How seriously was the audience meant to take the protesters, their cause, the behaviour? In comparison with the satiric story of Albert and Bruno?