# C05 Social and political Movies

This time, I have watched what we call «Social Movies». Not Movies for social network, of course, but socially conscious films. And sometimes, it becomes political.

##  The Jolly Forgers by Yolande Moreau

(or «La Fiancée du Poète» / The Poet's Bride). «Mireille Stockaert (Yolande Moreau) is a lonely and broken woman. In love with painting and poetry, she makes do with her work in the cafeteria of the Beaux-Arts in Namur. Her life changes when she chooses to live in the large family house she inherits. Not having the means to maintain it, she decides to take in three tenants. Three men who will upset her routine.»

That's a Belgian+French movie. It's funny, sensitive, poetic with all the talent of Yolande Moreau (Cesar Award 2005 for best 1st movie and double award for best actress in 2005 and 2009). It's a surprise to see the French musician William Sheller as a priest but that's not the only surprise. The full cast is absolutely delicious. It's also a beautiful photography to see Charleville or the Meuse river, a region of France rarely seen like this. The English title is more close to the main subject of the film : forgers. Between what we are and what we show, aren't we all forgers ? Yolande Moreau asks ourselves and as an actress, her job is to be forger. The film seems to be a light-hearted social comedy but reveals deeper reflections with each characters of the story. It's also a romance … Not as you can expect. Life can be our lover, don't you think ? 

## The Old Oak by Ken Loach

«A pub landlord, TJ Ballantyne (Dave Turner), in a previously thriving mining community struggles to hold onto his pub. Meanwhile, tensions rise in the town when Syrian refugees are placed in the empty houses in the community.» With what is expected to be the last film of Ken Loach, the director portrays his country with a straight face. The people of this town have nothing and the government adds to them migrant families who have lost everything. Migrant seems to have what the locals can't even dream of. They have two choices : To divide and blame the others, the migrants....or to unite and to get to know each other. If you know Ken Loach, you can guess his opinion.

But the film is always fair with an excellent cast : Dave Turner and Ebla Mari (Yara) are fantastic. The photography is not too sad and makes the town as beautiful as the pictures of Yara, the Syrian refugee. It's social and of course, political. It's about racism, clichés and prejudice....what made Brexit happen. The film provokes smiles, laughter, tears and rage and that's always a good sign for me. It's perhaps utopian, especially at the end, but it gives hope and note hate, as the hero says in a monologue. A film about much more than England or Great Britain but about all the countries or cities that used to be prosperous and now have homelessness and poverty. I'm thinking of the rust belt in USA or the North of France. I can't believe it's the last film of Loach because he has always things to say, and with such a great talent.

## Second Tour by Albert Dupontel

Albert Dupontel is one of the best director in France, with his own style, his humour (he started out as a stand-up comedian), his poetry. Since 1988, he has been making great movies (Bernie, See you up there, Bye bye Morons...). When I heard that the last one was about french politics, I was excited but anxious. Now, I'm enthusiastic because it's another great one !

Ms Pove (Cécile De France), a former political journalist, has fallen out of favor with her station. She was moved to the football desk, along with her cameraman, Gus (Nicolas Marié). Through a series of events, including the explosion of a gas pipe (accidental or provoked?) as a presidential candidate's car passes by, she finds herself the only journalist able to follow this candidate, the election favorite Pierre-Henry Mercier (Albert Dupontel) whom she also knew during her studies. A political novice and favorite candidate of the liberal right, this brilliant economist comes from a wealthy family. But something seems weird for Ms Pove.

I was expecting an acid satire of the world of politics and the media. I was right but that's not the only talent of the movie. I can't tell you more but there are some twists and turns, surprises, in the usual style of Dupontel (not far from Bye Bye Morons). Marié is perfect as the opposite of the smart Ms Pove (Cécile De France). Dupontel plays with that with other characters, as with the clowns in a circus (whiteface and auguste). He adds his poetry is some of his characters. He talks about politics but without falling in a boring movie or a theatrical farce. It's bitter, incisive, funny. But Dupontel is not getting to far in the critical part of the movie. French will recognize who it pastiches… Remember that the director doesn't vote, but he reads and listens.

## Take a chance on me by Jean-Pierre Ameris

And now a social romance for «Marie-Line et son juge» (Marie-Line and her judge). Marie-Line (Louane Emera) is a young woman juggling odd jobs to support her agoraphobic father. She falls in love with Alexandre, a student who dreams of making movies (Victor Belmondo). But Alexandre runs away from her. She goes mad and meets him to find out why he is the way he is....He falls by accident and she is tried for violence by Judge D'Outremont (Michel Blanc), a customer at the bar where she works and on whom she spilt a drink before being fired. After the trial, Judge D'outremont offers her a job as his chauffeur for a month.

It's like a buddy movie or another opposition between a whiteface (The Judge) and an auguste (Marie-Line) clown. It's funny, nice to see and joyful. It's cute for the relationship between the Judge and Marie-Line, not far from fatherhood. The film takes place in Le Havre, French most important  commercial port.  The city is not a character like with Aki Kaurismaki, this time. Just a background, a beautiful background with light tones and white.  The colors comes from Marie-Line, her pink hair, her clothes, her multicolor old car....THe Judge is always in beige, as he wanted to disappear. But It's Marie-Line who wants to disappear and the judge urges her to exist and to live for herself. A pleasant film to spend a good time in a Cinema. 

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