© FAKESHEMP.NET
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Podcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Good Movie Monday
    • WTF was that?
  • MEDIA
    • Videos >
      • Photos
  • GLG
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • About

ROLLING TO YOU

24/2/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
2018 | DIR: FRANCK DUBOSC | STARRING: FRANK DUBOSC, ALEXANDRA LAMY | REVIEW BY ALEX MAYNARD 
Picture
While I’m no expert on French cinema, a quick Google search shows just how long Franck Dubosc has been a staple of his homeland’s entertainment industry. And yet, despite decades of acting and screenwriting experience, ROLLING INTO YOU is his first effort as a director; as if the pressure weren’t already high enough, Dubosc simultaneously serves as writer and star here as well. ROLLING INTO YOU will perhaps seem familiar to seasoned rom-com viewers, yet its self-assured tone coupled with a cleverly told story make it a laugh-out-loud funny, overall pleasant surprise.
My favourite comedy scripts manage to use both the dialogue and situations as effective sources of comedy, a balance which ROLLING INTO YOU exemplifies. I’ll readily admit that the film’s premise sounds flimsy (a ladies’ man pretending to be paraplegic to score a date), though in practice Dubosc’s years of experience with the genre allow him to stick the landing of this tricky setup. For instance, although his character, Jocelyn’s, penchant for deception is obvious from the opening sequence, his latest ruse thankfully comes together by accident rather than deliberate plotting: as Jocelyn sits in his (recently deceased) mother’s wheelchair, an attractive new neighbour starts a conversation and, quite reasonably, assumes he’s handicapped. The scene not only delighted me with its sheer absurdity, but gives Dubosc free reign to show off his mastery of comedic facial expressions and slapstick timing. Meanwhile, whether Jocelyn is being chastised by one of the film’s many voices of reason (pretty much anyone who knows what he’s up to) or out on a date trying to impress, the witty banter and awkwardly-timed remarks are on par with any big-budget Hollywood comedy if not better; his best friend Max is a proctologist, just for some idea of how wonderfully crass things get.
Picture

ROLLING INTO YOU is also remarkably successful at dealing with a common rom-com issue: it’s bad to base relationships on a lie. Jocelyn’s love interest ultimately isn’t the hot neighbour mentioned earlier, but her sister Florence (Alexandra Lamy), who is actually paraplegic. Subsequently, his deceit is never pushed into the background or seen as justified for the sake of a budding romance; in fact, I can’t remember another rom-com that constantly forced a protagonist to consider the morals of their actions in such a realistic way. Dubosc’s effortless charm naturally helps viewers understand his personal and professional successes, yet I became most invested in his character when watching
Jocelyn process the latest way he’d let Florence down. The script likewise deserves recognition for the pitch-perfect pace of Florence’s development, leaving just enough mystery with each new interest or piece of wisdom revealed to make us look forward to seeing her again. It’s once again standard rom- com procedure for one half of a couple to be extroverted and contrast the other’s subtler charm, yet Dubosc and Lamy’s performances are so emblematic of why this approach works well that it simply doesn’t matter. Watching their sparks fly doesn’t just look pretty, it feels warm and fuzzy like the best romances should. 

Thus, ROLLING INTO YOU is the rare rom-com that excels at both halves of its genre. With a perfect pair of leading performances and a nuanced take on admittedly tricky subject matter, this film above all signals the arrival of a bona fide auteur in Franck Dubosc, and I can’t wait to see what he delivers next.
ROLLING TO YOU is screening at the 30th French Film Festival from March 5th until April 10th.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.


    OUR WRITERS
    GLENN COCHRANE
    JARRET GAHAN
    SHAUN CRAWFORD
    ALEX MAYNARD
    CHRIS THOMPSON​
    Picture

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    September 2010
    April 2010

    RSS Feed

© 2018 FakeShemp.Net    All rights reserved.  FakeShemp.Net Illustrations by MJ Barros. 
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Podcasts
    • Podcasts
    • Good Movie Monday
    • WTF was that?
  • MEDIA
    • Videos >
      • Photos
  • GLG
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • About