A streak of teenage rebellion runs through The Finishers (De toutes nos forces), as 17-year-old, wheelchair-bound, congenital palsy-afflicted Julien Amblard (debutant Fabien Héraud) rallies against the restrictions placed upon him. He wants to take risks and experience adversity, but his doting mother Claire (Alexandra Lamy, The Players) and hardworking father Paul (Jacques Gamblin, Paris Countdown) are too wary of the consequences on his condition. His uprising manifests not in the typical trappings of his youthful years, though recalcitrant behaviour does rear its head; instead, Julien is vocal and vehement in his desire to compete in an Ironman challenge.
The constrained but ever-observant Julien is cognisant of the sacrifices his family have made for him, especially by the dutiful but unhappy Paul, who once embraced such displays of endurance but now finds his thrills in volunteer fire-fighting. Julien’s quest is as much a chance to experience a physical feat otherwise unavailable to him as it is an opportunity to bond with his father. Against significant adversity, and with substantial support of those around them, they train to take part in a 3.8-kilometre swim, 180-kilometre bike ride, and 42-kilometre run.
That Julien and Paul are sighted watching that bastion of athletic films, Rocky, midway through the movie illustrates both the path their underdog tale takes, and the obvious sentiments elicited. Writer/director Nils Tavernier (Aurore) is far from subtle in his sophomore feature, his script with co-scribes Pierre Leyssieux (TV’s Une famille formidable) and Laurent Bertoni (an assistant director on One Stays, One Leaves) manufactured to manipulate the requisite emotional reaction. The film’s blatant machinations don’t dampen its inspirational angle, with its story of tenacity and paternal devotion still touching, but never are the sentiments at play anything less than glaringly obvious.
Tavernier works every aspect of the feature to his affecting advantage, from the atmospheric score that gently cajoles the audience in the desired direction, to the leisurely lensing that essays the film’s picturesque alps and riviera settings – an easy-on-the-eye backdrop for the difficulties at the fore. A host of montages, covering the intensive preparations and the final event, fulfil the sports movie cliché. Rousing pleas foster the message of exceeding expectations and breaking limitations. Friendly supporting characters – the conspiratorial pal (Pablo Pauly, Fonzy), the larrikin-like uncle (Xavier Mathieu, My Piece of the Pie), and the kindly sister (Sophie de Furst, L’oncle Charles) among them – further furnish the film’s many soft spots.
Lifting the feature beyond its status as an exercise in empathy are the performances, selling the father-son struggle but avoiding dwelling in the overdramatic tendencies of premise. With an engaging grin and smiling eyes, the charismatic Héraud sparkles as his affable character, conveying personality beyond the physical confines. Gamblin may be more reserved in contrast, but the connection cultivated between the pair bursts with authenticity. The film’s feel-good nature stems directly from their rapport – the earned component of the crowd-pleasing package, amid a sea of otherwise too-overt mawkishness.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
The Finishers (De toutes nos forces)
Director: Nils Tavernier
France, 2013, 86 mins
Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org
Sydney: 4 – 23 March
Melbourne: 5 – 23 March
Canberra: 6 – 25 March
Brisbane: 6 – 25 March
Perth: 18 March – 6 April
Adelaide: 20 March – 8 April
Byron Bay: 24 – 28 April
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