Rien à foutre

Wow, what a fantastic, natural film of everyday life. It has the feel of a Belgium Mike Leigh film with the acting on the same par, and I imagine, a similar improvisation technique. The lead actor, who i have since seen was the youngest recipient of the Palme D'or, was amazing and gave such an outstanding performance. But, pretty much everyone was so believable it had an almost documentary feel. I'd ignore the ludicrous 1/10 marks as there are people who obviously have an ulterior motive. Maybe Michael O'Leary thought it was a little too close for comfort.

After losing a parent, your mother, you take to the skies to recover, as a hostess you fly, on occasion you cry, it's the way that you choose to recover. Your colleagues are generally fine, although there's some who live in the guidelines, they appear quite austere, just for drinking a beer, acts of kindness not desired by this airline. You get your kicks in a number of ways, from a bottle, from a pill, from men plays, but the truth is you're stuck, in a perpetual rut, there are better ways to spend these long days.

You have to feel for poor old Cassandre Wassels but I lost interest half way through and that was when the title of this piece resonated most, still a good performance from Adèle Exarchopoulos however.

I'm really not sure why IMDB categorises this as both a drama and a "comedy". There are precious few laughs here.

Instead, we see the relentless grind of a low-end job in a budget airline, with sales targets and ever-present management oversight - not to mention the usual challenges of dealing with the passengers. There are "R&R" interludes of course but even some of these look pretty joyless, as will resonate with any business traveller who has been stuck for a few hours in a supposedly "exotic" location with nothing much to do. Maybe it's all scripted, but many of the rambling interchanges here sound amateurish and improvised - perhaps deliberately to emphasise the feeling?

Adele fortunately is charismatic enough to carry pretty much the whole film single-handedly, although some of the supporting players are not too bad either, and the exploration of the home life from which she has run away adds to the overall picture of aimlessness.

The ending is nicely balanced, I think, and can be read either way ... is she on the verge of achieving a dream, or just switching one kind of drifting for another? Sartre would empathise, I feel.

Worth a look.

Every soul carries its share of baggage, and in Emmanuel Marre and Julie Lecoustre's evocative drama 'Zero Fucks Given', this universal truth is explored with a potent blend of literal and metaphorical resonance.

From the outset, viewers are confronted with a vivid tableau of desperation and anxiety as we witness a woman, visibly on the brink, grappling to fit her baggage into the rigid compartments of travel. This struggle serves as a poignant allegory for the protagonist Cassandre's emotional journey, portrayed with remarkable depth by the talented Adele Exarchopolous. As the narrative unfolds, we delve into a trove of accumulated sorrow borne out of loss and unprocessed grief. The void left by her mother's passing haunts not only Cassandre but also her father and sister, each ensnared in their private battle with the remnants of despair.

Cassandre's instinct is to flee from her torment, hoping to find solace in new horizons. Yet, the film eloquently underscores a stark reality: no matter how far you fly, the shadows of your past will tail closely behind. No destination exotic enough, no drug potent enough, and no career enticing enough can mask the wounds etched deep within. Cassandre's futile attempt at evasion reflects a melancholy truth; the specters of the past are loyal companions on the journey of life.

As the narrative reaches its crescendo, 'Zero Fucks Given' nudges its protagonist and the audience towards an inescapable realization: healing is a voyage inward. Amid the gentle symbolism of the roundabout, where Cassandre finds herself towards the end of the film, lies a profound message. Just as life's relentless currents swirl around, individuals like Cassandre find themselves anchored amidst its flow by their unaddressed burdens.

In the emotionally charged final act, we witness Cassandre mustering the courage to face the shadows of her past, a crucial step that hints at the dawn of acceptance. As she untangles the knots of her grief, there's a subtle uplift in the narrative tone, leaving both Cassandre and the audience with a budding hope for the days to come. This tender note of optimism amidst a journey laden with emotional tumult encapsulates the essence of 'Zero Fucks Given', offering a gentle nudge towards the liberating path of self-confrontation and healing. Through Cassandre's evolving lens, we are reminded that facing our internal tumult is the first step towards unfurling a future free from the anchor of unresolved sorrow.

In the end I loved the film. It starts off as a rather offputting look into the culture of a cheap airline. Cassandre seems willingly lost in a job she does not enjoy; at times the film seems almost a satire. Then slowly the focus shifts and the backstory of her escape becomes the main focus. She is still grieving a loss and unable to let go.

I love the authentic way the Adèle delivers the inner emotions of Cassandre. The moment when Cassandre fails to hold a 30 second smile in a corporate course; or the call with the mobile operator are simply touching.