YANNICK

Yannick is a funny and moving film, my favorite of the summer. Quentin Dupieux immerses viewers in an evening at the theater that degenerates, almost in real time. Unity of time, place and action - these are the rules of classical theater, used here in the service of comedy. On stage, three actors perform a bad boulevard. About twenty spectators are seated in the auditorium, when one of them, Yannick, gets up and complains to the actors: "I find it hard to accept that a show that's supposed to cheer me up does the opposite! (...) There's no way it's going to go on". 

With a simple idea and a short running time (1h07), the prolific Quentin Dupieux creates an effective comedy, based as always on the absurd. The artists, the audience, the relationships between them, no one is spared. "Yannick is the anti-mec of Twitter," analyzes Quentin Dupieux for AFP. "He's naive and sincere, but he has a thought that goes somewhere. The guys on Twitter, when you reply to them, there's nothing behind it, there's no thought going on." And Yannick's got a mind of his own... 

Yannick is Raphaël Quenard, the revelation of the film. This actor had already worked with Quentin Dupieux on Mandibules and Fumer fait couser. His character is naïve, funny in spite of himself, sometimes disturbing, always moving. On stage, in a mise en abîme, comedian Blanche Gardin, Pio Marmaï and Sébastien Chassagne play the actors in this pitiful boulevard. Quentin Dupieux films them with no stylistic effects. All are outstanding.

Filmed at the Théâtre Déjazet in six days, this film was the result of everyone's involvement. The producers invested their own funds, which has become a rarity in cinema. Following the screening, the distributor, who also fell in love with the film, decided to release it in early August, in a short space of time, playing counter-programming to the American blockbusters. Because this film is about us, and about us, dear audience. Let's get up and meet Yannick! Raphaël Quenard's performance is worth the trip to the cinema.   

Yannick
Written, directed, filmed and edited by Quentin Dupieux
Art director Joan Le Boru
Produced by Hugo Selignac, Quentin Dupieux
With Raphaël Quenard, Blanche Gardin, Pio Marmaï, Sébastien Chassagne
Production companies: CHI-FOU-MI Productions, Atelier de production, Quentin Dupieux
Distributed by Diaphana Distribution (France)
Release date: August 2, 2023 (France)
Running time : 67 minutes

Seen on July 11, 2023 at the Arlequin cinema (Paris)

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