The Les Arcs European Film Festival closed on December 23rd and took the opportunity to present us with one last striking work: The party is over. French production directed by Marie Garel Weiss, this story deals with the descent into hell due to drugs as well as the difficulties of detoxification. An impactful film despite its academicism, carried by excellent actresses. Focus!
A very wonderfully interpreted story
The strength of La fête est finie undoubtedly lies in the interpretation provided by its two main actresses: Zita Hanrot and Clémence Boisnard . Beyond their absolutely impeccable individual interpretations, the power of the film lies in the osmosis created between these two young women.
The evolution of their relationship from the rehab home to the attempted reintegration is as touching as it is realistic. We feel a real desire on the part of Marie Garel Weiss to immerse us as close as possible to these two young women in loss of bearings. Thus, we are immersed in the heart of the difficulties of these protagonists. This ranges from complications to reintegration, to the hell of relapse, to the permanent conflicts with the people around these girls. It is impressive to see how well the damage endured but also caused by drug addicts is transcribed. The damage to itself is of course visible automatically.But the damage suffered by their loved ones is also shown by the film with great realism. The film is therefore a perfect marriage between realism and the interpretation of its two actresses. If this makes it a very impactful work, it is a bit of a shame that the realization is confined to a certain classicism.
A very (too much?) realization academic
Let's be clear: the realization of The party is over is far from being missed. On the contrary, it allows us a real proximity with the characters and is raw enough to offer us a feeling of realism. However, the imagery of the film may lack a certain audacity, which would have been welcome to support this interesting story.
Drugs and their ravages are subjects far too little addressed by cinema. The same applies to all cases of dependence. The party is over plunges us closer to these shortcomings by exposing us all the facets of addiction. It would therefore have been appropriate for director Marie Garel Weiss (initially screenwriter), to couple this delicate subject with a slightly more memorable realization. However, as indicated above, one aspect of the realization can be welcomed: its realism. The proximity established with the protagonists allows an almost instantaneous attachment to them. In addition, we can salute the very raw and successful aspect of some scenes, especially the sex scenes. This applies to scenes highlighting consensual relationships, as well as those relating to dubious drug relations.
Perfectly interpreted, realistic and uncompromising, La fête est finie deals with a subject that should be put forward more in our society: dependence. If we can regret the academicism of the realization, we can not deny the impact that this story produces, especially if we have already dealt with dependent people or addiction problems… To discover from February 28 urgently!
