[CRITICAL] MARSEILLE

MARSEILLE is presented as a dramatic comedy and it is expected that the film works the better to make us cry, or at least to move us. You have been told right away, the writers and main actors Kad Merad, Patrick Bosso and Judith El Zein have put the package with the means at their disposal in terms of story, characters and mise en scene ! Rarely there will be seen a film exploit as many large strings (we counted a dozen). We can well imagine the fine team say that in the job, the public would have to find his happiness. We cannot deny that, at rare moments we saw glimpses of emotion, but it is brought so lourdingue and dripping with good feelings that it frieze quickly the saturation, or the point of nausea ! This is our feeling in relation to these multiple sequences that the writers have thought it best that we publicize in their terms and conditions are emotional.

The scenario goes in all directions and take paths much too different for that the spectator can dwell on one of them. Has too much running after too many hares at once, one ends up catching none. A good guy, Paolo/Kad Merad, returned to his hometown, Marseille, after 25 years of absence. We will learn the reasons for the dramatic and secret of his departure for Quebec, after a little suspense and scenes in flashback. His brother, Joseph/Patrick Bosso lied to him about the state of health of his father, Giovanni/ Venantino Venantini. We are also very appreciative of the conversion of this last one, because of its role as a common gangster, he specializes now in that of the father of the hero as a quarantine. It was thus crossed in A + A with Jean Dujardin, or in The life of a very private Gentleman Sim with Valéria Golino.

MARSEILLE managed its first shot double pseudo-emotional with a sequence “family” (the reunion of a man with his brother and his father) and a sequence “nostalgia and old-age”. These scenes at the hospital and the rest home, an excuse to try to recover the memory of Giovanni, are of boredom. We will cross of the gypsies, a flemish pink, the director and the caretaker (Philippe Lefebvre and Julien Boisselier, obviously misplaced in the film), and of course Elena/Judith El Zein, caring physician seduced by Paolo.

MARSEILLE continues on the sequence, “health” through the illness of Joseph, which is working on the shipyards. He keeps secret in order not to worry his wife Valerie/Anne Charrier, if one of a kind and never complains despite the financial difficulties. We cannot, moreover, be too advise in the actress, who tries in vain to different choices (as in I am counting on you), no longer venturing into these roles against the job and without consistency, as we know, since brothel, she deserves better than that ! The film offers us here a triple sequence “courage,” “social drama” and “discover a business”. Because life is hard on the building, even if it is more beautiful in the sunshine (sequence “Aznavour”), but there was no choice, otherwise we would be unemployed. Because it is cash in’amato and, (sequence “emigration” requires) you never forget where you come from : Italy.

“MARSEILLE is a film with no rough edges, well-thinking, that is not likely to shake up the viewer, and especially not the shots.”

Paolo live in Quebec – the first plan of the film opens on a large lake. Idea that responds perfectly to the sequence “tourism abroad”. Another inconsistency of the scenario that has not embarrassed the trio of writers : Kad Merad has no accent marseillais, unlike Joseph and his nephew. One can imagine that he is used to the hunt of his life for not remembering bad memories. He did not, like his son, the quebecois accent. The film manages thus to create a clash of cultures within a same family, between the two cousins : sequences “humor” that look clearly empty. Also, think that the viewer will be in MARSEILLE for Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis, under the pretext that there is also Kad Mérad, it is to take the risk of disappoint.

Kad Merad, who has been trying for several years, a foray into a different genre of comedy with more or less success, is playing in MARSEILLE for a very (too ?) neutral, to the image of the character that he embodies. Paolo is transparent and serves mainly to claim all the others : his brother, his father, his son, his new love, but especially the city of Marseille, the film is a true ode. We should have no difficulty to imagine the validation of the scenario by the institutions, policies, and associations from around the corner. There are discussed topics specific to Marseille, including the media echo : football, and specifically the OM (via many seemingly endless scenes on the jerseys and football matches), the Canebière, the violence in the neighborhoods, the traffic jams, the engueulades “hail the assent“, the taxis, the solidarity between buddies… We have still not understood the importance of having titled the film as well as the city, if not in order to seduce the public in marseille.

About Patrick Bosso, this is a skit all by himself. The problem is that he is not on stage and that he played a role that was supposed to not be comical, stereotyped to death. But it is not Coluche, and MARSEILLE is not a Chao Puppet. The duo of brothers with Kad Merad falls flat and does not produce the desired effects. The presence in a drama of these two actors-stamped comic is quite disconcerting, since one never knows on which foot to dance, do we neither laugh, nor cry. Judith El Zein, finally, continuing from The first Name to rub shoulders with comedy, but we do not believe in his love story emerging with Paolo, in which the ethical side, since they are both divorced, we reinforces the idea that MARSEILLE is definitely a film poorly named no rough edges, well-thinking, that is not likely to shake up the viewer, and especially not the shots.

Sylvie-Noelle

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