On ne devrait pas exister

Putting oneself on stage is not a bad thing in itself, but doing it in a narcissistic way can quickly become annoying. This strange work, which blithely disregards all considerations of taste, is probably the most trying fictional self-portrait since Olivier Py's Les Yeux fermés. Embracing the aggressive temperament of the protagonist, the film links absurd sequences, such as the theater class or the heckled casting. At the center of the narrative concerns is invariably the character of Hervé, a man who wants to understand what a good actor is. This minimalist program quickly goes round and round in circles, with a lot of shouting and irritation. The only very relative progress comes in the nebulous speeches of the more or less legitimate artists Hervé interviews.
It is only towards the end, when the protagonist has the opportunity to attend a theatrical improvisation with real actresses (Marilou Berry & Rachida Brakni), provided he moderates his impetuous outbursts for once, that the viewer can at least suspect the purpose of the director's simplistic approach. But by this time, Hervé's vain agitation and the frustrating behavior of the characters he encounters have already destroyed what little sympathy capital we had left. This little ray of sunshine and the nostalgic memory of the Cinémathèque française in Chaillot are not enough to make up for this pretentious and too often boring first attempt.

Seen on April 27, 2006, at Club 13

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