A plein temps

Reminiscent of ‘Run, Lola, Run’, Tom Tykwer's blistering German thriller from the nineties, Eric Gavel’s riveting sophomore film garnered the Best Director and Best Actress awards in the Horizons section of the Venice Film Festival. The latter award went to Laure Calamy, who plays Julie, a working mother of two living in the Parisian banlieue and commuting to work in Paris. Due to the incessant rhythm of washing, ironing, preparing food, paying bills, picking up, dropping off and shopping, the single mother often does not know whether she’s coming or going. When she finally arranges an interview for a job more in line with her aspirations, a nationwide public transport strike breaks out…

‘“Call My Agent” star Laure Calamy delivers a sympathetic but nerve-flaying performance as Julie, both a frazzled mum at the end of her tether and unflappable head chambermaid at a five-star hotel. It’s a propulsively intense piece of filmmaking… In its way, the film is every bit as janglingly stressful as “Uncut Gems.” Perhaps more so, as Julie is repeatedly jeopardised by circumstances beyond her control rather than by her own bad decisions.”—Wendy Ide, Screen