Two scriptwriter friends with opposing personalities fuss and fight as they cobble together a script for a modern political film. Their arguments seem endless, they constantly stray from the plot, but the story slowly takes shape around garage mechanics at Moliterno & co. who fight a multinational in order to save their business.
Writing
Script about writing a script that becomes the script. Brain: broken.
Acting
Ascaride and Bonnel bicker with married-couple chemistry.
Direction
Guédiguian's Marseille working-class love letter, as usual.
Director
Robert Guédiguian
Ariane Ascaride
Lola
Pierre Banderet
M. Moreau
Frédérique Bonnal
Marthe
Patrick Bonnel
Henri Le Branleur
Gérard Meylan
Gigi
Jacques Boudet
Pépé Moliterno
Alain Lenglet
Nils, le banquier
Denis Podalydès
Yvan
Laetitia Pesenti
Vanessa
Pascale Roberts
La mère d'Henri
Jean-Pierre Darroussin
Jean-Do
Christine Brücher
Madame Moreau
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Guédiguian's troupe (Ascaride, Meylan, Boudet) have worked together since 1981—this is basically their 19th collaboration.
The 'film within a film' structure directly mirrors how Guédiguian actually writes: collectively, arguing, rewriting constantly.
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