TRAVAUX, ON SAIT QUAND SA COMMENCE (HOUSEWARMING)
France, 2005, 90 minutes, Colour.
Carole Bouquet, Marcial de Fonso Bo, Brigitte Rouan.
Directed by Brigitte Rouan.
Housewarming is a whimsical French comedy. The focus is on a barrister played by Carole Bouquet. Much of her work concerns homeless illegal workers in France. When she wants her own home remodelled, a group of Colombian remodellers take over. There are a lot of workers – and this is part of the comedy (although there is a lot of realism and some pathos). The workers are from Colombia, Morocco, Mali, as well as France and Italy. The comedy also concerns a client who is infatuated with the lawyer and pursues her. She also has a teenage son and daughter who have to cope with the difficulties.
The film builds up a cumulative effect of humour – and a wry comment on some of the practical difficulties in living in the contemporary city.
1.A light and breezy comedy? The serious undertones? In the French style and humour? For French audiences? European, worldwide?
2.The use of Paris, the postcard pictures? The affluent areas, the poor areas? Lawyers’ world, migrants’ and illegals’ world?
3.The style of the film, Carole Bouquet and her manner, dress? The migrants and their work? The transforming of the house? The magic realism in the court sequence and the appeal about Rasheed? The musical score?
4.The title, the apartment, Edoardo and his continuous plans, breaking everything down, the number of accidents and breakages, the building, success... but the accidents at the housewarming?
5.The personality of Chantal, in court, her dancing and her contortions, the sex appeal, the judge’s response? Winning? Poncin and the offer of lunch, her refusal, his pursuit, calling her ‘lovey dovey’? The meal, staying the night, the breakfast, the reaction of Chantal’s children? His continuous pestering her, the flowers, her hiding behind the bar and creeping out? Her office, her staff? The jobs, for the Africans, for the Latin Americans? Employing the workers, the different countries they came from? Her relationship with them, their discussions? Her relationship with her children? Her former husband? The possibilities for her career, the bar dance and promotion? Her exasperation? The completion of the apartment?
6.Edoardo and his case, Chantal solving it, his work as an architect, his grandiose plans, his personality, his insistence, the foreman, the various workers? The man who was the guerrilla and his explanation of his life, his wife, the reasons he migrated to France, the operation on his arm? The various other members of the group, the tile expert and his assistant, his prima donna attitudes? Rasheed and the prospect of his marriage? Betamax and his lack of French, his friendship with the daughter, helping her with her Spanish? The professor and his helping the son with his maths? The workers feeling at home, coffee and meals, changing everything, the relationship with the children, the various botched jobs, Chantal and her exasperation with them? Their apologising and coming back? The finale and the celebration of the housewarming?
7.The progress of the house, the plans, Chantal not wanting the kitchen touched, her being on the phone in the bath and Edoardo misunderstanding? The makeshift bed, the electricity faults? The breakdowns? The various people camping in her house because of no beds at home? The humorous touch with Hugh Grant arriving at the end as the neighbour?
8.Children and parents, the girl’s shoplifting, Betamax and his helping the girl, the professor and Marton?
9.Poncin, the case, his winning? His gratitude towards Chantal, continually pursuing her, going back to Russia, the return, flowers, her threats, ousting him? Did he inform the authorities about the illegals?
10.The social concerns of the film, the migrants, the illegal hotels, the squalor in which they lived, the need for lawyers, Chantal confronting the board about the lead in the water, her winning?
