A life less ordinary would have been an appropriate alternative title for Rosalie Blum, had it not already been taken. Within the film’s frames, a trio of seemingly average folk yearn for something other than their standard existence, even if they don’t quite realise it. Vincent Machot (Kyan Khojandi, All Three of Us) cuts hair, tends to his eccentric mother (Anémone, Jacky in the Kingdom of Women), and tries to ignore the truth about his Parisian girlfriend’s repeated failure to visit. Having dropped out of university and ostensibly in hiding from her family, Aude Cerceau (Alice Isaaz, One Wild Moment) is at her most content when she’s sleeping the day away. Her aunt, the feature’s titular figure (Noémie Lvovsky, The Sweet Escape), focuses on her corner store as a way to escape her past difficulties.
All three are fated to cross paths; however writer turned helmer Julien Rappeneau (Zulu) teases out their interactions in his directorial debut. Adapting Camille Jourdy’s series of graphic novels of the same name, he splits their journey into character-centric chapters, then waits and watches as they come together. Vincent spies Rosalie in her shop — and, feeling a sense of déjà vu, becomes obsessed with her every move. His attentions don’t go unnoticed, with the target of his fixation enlisting Aude to follow him in turn.
Of course, there’s no mistaking the engineered nature of a tale that relies upon coincidence and counters an act of friendly stalking with the same kind of behaviour. And yet, from a scenario brimming with contrivance springs a story that speaks to the willingness of lonely, unhappy souls to flee into a fantasy in the search for something beyond their routine lives. Indeed, Rosalie Blum typifies both the trying and triumphant in cinema, presenting a narrative that initially appears too convenient yet simultaneously hits the requisite thematic notes. Thankfully, once the underlying situation has been established and the film begins to flesh out its players, the latter wins out over the former.
Cue the lightly dramatic, breezily comedic effort’s strongest element: the naturalistic performances of its cast. A large portion of the credit for Rosalie Blum‘s eventual success must be directed at Khojandi, Isaaz and Lvovsky, who ensure Vincent, Aude and the movie’s namesake are never merely pawns in a game, nor flimsy expressions of clear-cut emotions. In incremental portrayals that blossom with each encounter and accompanying revelation, their characters prove complicated creations equally wearied by disappointment and warmed by the glimpses of hope they see in each other. Together, the three leads provide a thoughtful depiction of the intricacies of everyday malaise — the weight of lingering burdens and the anxiety of future uncertainties alike — that not only resounds with reality, but remains relatable.
That Rappeneau lets the minutiae of commonplace spaces fill the screen certainly assists, as does his use of a true-to-life colour scheme. In fact, while Rosalie Blum toys with purposefully heightened circumstances, its story is the only aspect that feels exaggerated. The end product that grows from its embellished core instead comes complete with a lived-in, rather than overstated air. In finding the earnest and authentic within its specific confines, it’s not just the on-screen figures trying to fashion something less ordinary, but the off-screen talent as well.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Rosalie Blum
Director: Julien Rappeneau
France, 2015, 96 mins
Rating: M
Alliance Francaise French Film Festival
Sydney: 1 – 24 March
Melbourne: 2 – 24 March
Canberra: 3 – 24 March
Brisbane: 11 March – 12 April
Perth: 16 March – 7 April
Adelaide: 31 March – 24 April
Casula: 7 – 10 April
Parramatta: 7 – 10 April
Hobart: 28 April – 4 May
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