Leslie and Renard are bored in their small dormitory suburb and at the turn of an unexpected getaway, they find a strange artifact that seems to come from another time. Grand Paris is the story of their epic, half-funny half-sensitive, through the Ile-de-France to find a use for this mysterious object.
Effective comedy
Grand Paris is a very funny film that bases much of its humor on the naivety of its protagonists and the purity that emerges from them. A great sincerity and incredible situations, this kind of thing that makes sense in their little universe but is also hilarious as a spectator. Particular attention is paid to the writing of dialogues and comic timing, which makes everything fluid and effective. The characters are archetypal and it also works very well in addition to contributing to this dynamic. Between jokes of friends, strange moments and great breaths of air, the strength of Grand Paris is also, much more than its sincerity, this impression of simple reality that it evokes: life is a funny adventure despite adversity.
Suburbs and sensibilities
The representation of the suburbs in the cinema is used to be harsh and rather to be either an action film, a social drama, or downright dystopia. Here the will is quite different, and even by taking the path of comedy, we avoid any shortcut potache or other similar facility. The sincerity, once again the ultimate force of Grand Paris, gives way to a great sensitivity that is subtly presented. The characters in the film have no purpose in life and most of the time they are bored. They are trying to do something with their lives and they have a hard time understanding their feelings in an environment where you don't necessarily express these kinds of things. In its own way, with all the modesty of its characters, the film is also about love. The brotherly love of a best friend, the one we have for the person we fell in love with but who had to leave leaving a bitter taste in our mouths, and above all the love of ourselves and what we do with it. The film is touching in its awkward honesty, and it's rather refreshing to see.
Make room for creativity
Grand Paris is, as the director himself says, a long freestyle. Touching comedy of course, the film also approaches the fantastic. Between conspiracy theories and science fiction, he takes us on a journey beyond and through his refreshing vision of the Paris suburbs. The strange object found by Leslie and Renard creates a real mystery and allows this suburb to take on the air of mystical scenery. We see the pyramids of the four corners of the region, the underground of a metro to become … Whether it is the singular suburban architecture that we rarely bother to appreciate or the graffiti that litters many buildings, tout here takes on this dimension both familiar and strange thanks to the staging and the work of the image. Night lights reminiscent of science fiction and a work of colorimetry already a little confusing during the day, we are directly immersed in an unusual universe and the film does not hide it. We see the suburbs in a different light and the fantastic approaches its spectator little by little until it exposes itself in front of him.
A sensitive and singular image of these suburbs that we see on the big screen under the prism of violence, Grand Paris is a cute and pleasant breath of fresh air. We spend an hour and a quarter with a smile while being touched by this adventure. We will also salute the performances of the four actors who have an impressive synergy: Mahamadou Sangaré (Leslie), Martin Jauvat (Renard, and also the director of the film), William Lebghil (Amin) and Sébastien Chassagne (Momo). Grand Paris, in theaters March 29, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHelkVM8cec&ab_channel=JHRFilms