What would be the France if young people disappeared from the system? This is the first question posed by Léa Frédeval's film Les affamés . This young 26-year-old director plunges us into her dream of youth revolt.
Throughout the story, we follow the daily life of Zoé, 21 years old (played by Louane Emera). Stuck between internships, classes and odd jobs, she is already exhausted at the beginning of her life. After her breakup with her boyfriend, she moves into a shared apartment with six other young people. This is how the charter of the hungry was born; Charter that lists everything that today's youth should no longer accept. In short, it reveals what young people are thinking in a whisper. Unfortunately, from a utopia in progress, the characters gradually fall back to earth. Even carried by a community via the internet, Zoé's dream is not achievable. We witness the transformation of the character who becomes selfish or almost unsympathetic.
This film is a social comedy based on the novel The Hungry by the director herself. It is a message of hope and revolution. A film that talks about young people for young people but not only! Many people will recognize themselves through the different characters. Students, worried parents, young workers… The memory of flatshares, the first odd jobs, the first apartment, the first permanent contract, resurface for an hour and a half. Identification is easy for each spectator.
To create this group of roommates, Léa Frédeval surrounded herself with young actors from different backgrounds. Louane Emera (Zoé), revealed on screen thanks to the film La famille Bélier by Eric Lartigau. François Deslock (Lucas) who was recently seen on screen in Gérard Jugnot's C'est beau la vie quand on y pense. Nina Melo (Chris) who starred in Bande de filles by Céline Sciamma. Rabah Naït Oufella (Jonathan) revealed in the film Grave by Julia Ducourneau. Bruno Sanches (Arthur) actor, screenwriter and creator of the series Catherine and Liliane. Marc Jarousseau (David) better known as Kemar, comic youtuber. Souheila Yacoub (Eva) Swiss actress whose second feature film is taking place. It is with this sextet, made up of actors with different backgrounds that the story takes shape. Other actors such as Agnès Hurstel, Léon Garel or Pierre-François Martin-Laval alias Pef are also part of the cast.
Nevertheless, the film has some drawbacks: it may deal with a subject that is supposed to bring together all young people, the film never dissociates itself from Paris and its microcosm. It is a very strong identification with Parisian youth but perhaps not with French youth.
The second downside is at the level of the scenario and in particular the dialogues. It happens quite often that certain lines of dialogue sound false, they are not natural. This is not necessarily the way of speaking of a student, the tone that the acting reflects is not always right.
And, finally, the last downside, the acting of the actress Louane Emera: she has become an icon and a symbol as a singer for the new generation of French. That's probably why the director stopped at her. Unfortunately, his acting is fake almost the entire movie. The problem is that it is contradictory with the other actors accompanying it, who are fair. As soon as Zoé's character intervenes, it takes us out of the film. The voice-over presents part of the film but it does not help things, it is too explanatory and recited.
These few flats are not to blame for all that, The Hungry is a learning film carried by a director still very young that we can only admire for having written and directed her novel at only 26 years old.
