THE OPINION OF THE “WORLD” – MUST SEE
Making the bet of social comedy, inspired by a true story, the director and screenwriter Emmanuel Courcol stages a feel-good movie in a prison environment, shot in part at the Meaux prison (Seine-et-Marne). Or the story of Etienne, a struggling actor (Kad Merad), who has not been on stage for a long time, and undertakes to create Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett with a group of inmates. “Men who are a little idle, waiting for someone who does not come, that speaks to you, doesn’t it?” “, explains Etienne in substance to Alex (Lamine Cissokho), a small dealer with a good character, Jordan (Pierre Lottin), recidivist thief, Patrick (David Ayala), fallen for extortion, Kamel (Sofian Khammes), the prison boss , or Boïko (Alexandre Medvedev), an auxiliary who does the housework.
One after the other overcoming administrative obstacles, alongside the director of the establishment, Ariane (Marina Hands), Etienne somehow manages to put on the play, the creation of which is well received. The performances follow one another, word of mouth works, until the day when the Théâtre de l’Odéon, in Paris, proposes a date. We won’t reveal more, let’s just say thatA triumph does not just retrace a beautiful story of resilience on the boards. A twist will also shake up Etienne’s odyssey with his band of cripples of life … The film questions success and triumph, but who are we talking about? Inmates who have surpassed themselves to learn the text, or the actor who finally proves what he is capable of in the middle of the theater?
A feel good movie in a prison environment, inspired by a true story and shot
partly in the penitentiary
from Meaux
The screenplay is adapted from the experience of Swedish actor and director Jan Jönson. In 1985, he came to play a play by the American Allen Drury in front of 75 prisoners at Kumla high security prison. At the end of the show, zero applause, and Jan Jönson begins to see these men as characters from Godot. While chatting after the show, he tells them about the Irish playwright and an inmate tells him: “Beckett is my hero”. The adventure began thus, the director of the prison gave the green light. The show was such a success that the team went on tour, until the rather breathtaking outcome at the Royal Theater in Gothenburg.
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