skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Film: The Round Up
Year of production: 2010
UK Release date: 17th June 2011
Distributor: Revolver
Certificate: TBC
Running time: 115 mins
Director: Rose Bosch
Starring: Jean Reno, Mélanie Laurent, Gad Elmaleh, Raphaëlle Agogué, Hugo Leverdez
Genre: Drama/History/War
Format: Cinema
Country of Production: France/Germany/Hungary
Language: French/German/Yiddish
Review by: Qasa Alom
The bar has been set mighty high for films concerning the persecution of Jews during the Second World War by the likes of Schindler’s List, The Pianist and Au Revoir Les Enfants. In more recent times, even the warped brilliance of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds has managed to treat the harrowing topic in a different and fresh manner. Thus it’s hard to have imagined how The Round Up (La Rafle) could compare. However by using two-and-a-half years of intense research, eye witness accounts and a stellar cast, former investigative journalist Rose Bosch’s picture brings lost memories back to life to make it essential viewing.
Set in 1942’s Paris, the film begins with Joseph Weismann, played by 12-year-old newcomer Hugo Leverdez, forced to go to school with a yellow star sewn onto the breast of his jacket. Met by just as much derision as sympathy, he and most of the Parisian Jews – from both affluent as well as more modest backgrounds – are forced to take refuge in the hills in Montmartre.
Rumours, anxiety and hardship are all rife in the air until, finally, on the night of the 16th July, their worst fears come true and the French police, with the country under the occupation of the Nazis, arrest over 13,000 Jews and cram them all into the Winter Velodrome. Some of them, such as 12-year-old Anne Traube, manage to escape through a mixture of cunning, good fortune and the compassion of French civilians; however, the rest, such as Jo and his family, face the appalling conditions, limited supplies and non-existent sanitation in the enormous gym before being transferred to prisoner camps.
To help the Jews in any form possible, volunteer nurse Annette Monod (played by Inglorious Basterds’ femme fatale Mélanie Laurent) acts as the imprisoned population’s very own Florence Nightingale and forms a strong connection with Jewish doctor David Sheinbaum (Jean Reno).
After the decision to transfer all the captives to the Beaune La Rolande prisoner camp is made, Monod decides to go with them in order to keep as many of the adults and children alive as possible…
The film is shot in an elegant and straightforward style that does not override its content at any point. The constant use of extreme close-ups and lingering static shots renders it easier for the viewer to see what the characters are feeling in a subtle manner without making the picture too word-heavy and bogged down. Much of this can be attributed to Bosch drawing on Roman Polanski for inspiration.
Moreover, Bosch stays true to her research and her chief eye witness’s (Joseph Weisman) account by filming the whole picture from the eye level of a child. This minor alteration, coupled with the hints of nostalgic sepia tone to the picture, transmits a powerful sense of innocence to the viewer about the atrocities they are witnessing, which ultimately enable them to follow the story through the eyes of somebody who lived it.
The only technical extravagance comes in the Winter Velodrome scene that lies at the crux of the film. A long craning CGI intense shot begins by following one person navigate the stadium, concentrating on small details such as children laughing, old women’s faces or police whistling, and ends by slowly zooming out to show the chaotic magnitude of having 13,000 people crammed into one venue.
Whilst the cinematography is generally settled and passive, the same cannot be said about the use of music. The haunting ethereal use of strings throughout the story is a clever tool to direct the viewer’s emotions and is quite reminiscent of Spielberg’s usage in Schindler’s List. The real masterstroke comes with the final scene of the film that for once befits the use of Debussy’s beautiful ‘Claire de Lune’. The soft and tender notes dance with the final pictures in a manner that can only be described as magical.
However, ultimately, it is the characters that bring the film alive and raise it to the level of something more than a historical drama. With an ensemble cast of over seventy speaking roles in the film that covers three different narrative worlds, it would have been very easy to get lost. However, Bosch intertwines the political tussles of Pétain and Hitler with the various personal story arcs of the Jewish community, as well as casting a light on the dilemma for many French Civilians with ease – we even pause for some more poignant moments without making the film’s pace uneven or stilted.
Many of the standout performances are from characters that only appear in a few scenes, such as the French firemen who work tirelessly to make sure every person gets a cup of water; the angelic orphan boy Nono who doesn’t understand what is happening to him; and the sinister camp Marshall, played by Denis Menochet (another actor from Inglorious Basterds), who points out the Jews hiding under his floorboards to Colonel Hans Landa.
The Round Up is a tremendous achievement that has ensured that one of occupied France’s worst crimes is not forgotten. Indeed, with almost half of the initial 3 million viewers in France being under 20 years old, it’s clear that the film has managed to combine intensive research and dedication to real life stories with a beautiful narrative structure that just about permits it to sit side by side with The Pianist and Schindler’s List. QA
![]()
Film: Priceless
Release date: 13th October 2008
Certificate: 12
Running time: 102 mins
Director: Pierre Salvadori
Starring: Audrey Tautou, Gad Elmaleh, Marie-Christine Adam, Vernon Dobtcheff, Jacques Spiesser
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Studio: Icon
Format: DVD
Country: France
Pierre Salvadori’s 2006 film Priceless (Hors de prix) draws comparisons to Blake Edwards’ 1961 classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. This romantic comedy, set amidst the playground of French High Society on the Côte d'Azur, sees a misguided femme fatale pursue a life of wealth, whilst a humble barman pursues a life of love.
Jean (Gad Elmaleh) is a rather shy and well mannered barman at a luxury hotel on the French Riviera, who one night, having been persuaded to have a drink with a guest of the hotel, ends up falling asleep on the bar lounge sofa. To Jean’s surprise, he is later awoken by Irène (Audrey Tautou), a beautiful gold-digger seeking a drink and some fun on her birthday, after her rich, elderly fiancé had passed out in their hotel room.
Jean, a man of few words, apologises for falling asleep on the sofa, but soon realises that Irène has mistakenly assumed him to be a guest of the hotel. Too embarrassed to admit that he works behind the bar, Jean instead opts to try and impress Irène with his panache and care-free demeanour, but soon falls into a lust trap that proves far too difficult to escape from.
Unfortunately for Jean, however, Irène soon discovers that he is penniless, and that having been seen with Jean by her fiancé, she has thrown away her greatest opportunity of a life of wealth and luxury. Irène therefore leaves the hotel immediately, and heads for the Côte d’Azur in search of another wealthy man seeking a high-cost, trophy wife.
Jean, however, has become far too captivated by Irène and her majestic beauty to just let her disappear, and he therefore follows her to the coast, where he uses his life savings trying to satisfy her expensive urges. Ironically, when Jean spends his last euro romantically stirring into Irène’s eyes for a mere ten seconds, he is forced to take on a similar role to that of Irène, as the gigolo to Madeleine (Marie-Christine Adam) the wealthy widow of the hotel.
As Irène works her magic on a lonely, rich man, she spares some time to take Jean under her wing as her gold-digging protégé, providing him with tips on how to get the most out of Madeleine, including a €30,000 watch. The more time the two spend together, though, the more fun they have, and the more difficult it becomes for Irène to detach herself from Jean for the purposes of her selfish pursuit of wealth…
The very nature of the film - as with the genre to which it belongs - lends itself to cliché and predictability, and so for those expecting twists and turns, and a conclusion that offers something a little more original, it is advisable to steer clear. Priceless is just about as obvious as they come, which is in fact not at all to the film’s detriment.
The storyline is one that has been used many times before, and approached in various different fashions over the years. Truman Capote’s 1958 novella Breakfast At Tiffany’s inspired Blake Edwards to produce the on-screen adaptation of the same name, which was unforgettably stylish and charming. The successful elements of that feature – the beautiful and sassy gold-digger; the modest and amiable man, and the wealthy, upper class setting – have been drawn upon by many Hollywood writers, but their attempts to emulate the success of Edwards’ film have been met with very mixed results.
Salvadori, however, is able to take these winning ingredients and infuse them wonderfully to bring about his desired result, which is a quintessentially humorous, yet elegant affair. The base material is of course an advantage, in the sense that it is a tried and tested formula, but making an audience laugh, and selecting actors which will bring the story to life, is still a complicated task.
Casting director Alain Charbit, therefore, is to be given credit for his selection. The number of beautiful, French actresses available is almost limitless, but at the conclusion of Priceless, it would seem almost foolish to have considered anybody but Audrey Tautou for this role. Much like Hepburn, Tautou possesses that natural beauty which justifies a confidence bordering on arrogance. Taotou, though, doesn’t merely look the part, but proves her versatility by producing a fantastically witty, sympathetic and lust-worthy performance.
Tautou’s comic timing, and gift for expressing just about every emotion, makes her perfect for this role. Irène is a more complex character than first meets the eye, and whilst coming across as shallow, immoral and heartless, in fact proves herself to be intelligent, deeply emotive and caring. Portraying such a self-preserving character in this type of feature takes something more than what most comedy actors are capable of, but with the assistance of Elmaleh, Tautou certainly achieves this outcome.
Jean, in stark contrast to Irène, is a coy introvert who possesses no desire to own expensive, material goods or to lead a life of luxury. In fact, Jean’s only real superficial moment is when he immediately falls for Irène, the only explanation for which being that she is so strikingly beautiful. Admirably, Jean’s character remains genuine throughout, and even when he chooses to bleed the lonely Madeleine of her money, his aspirations for doing so are plainly just to keep Irène interested.
Salvadori’s setting for the movie, the Côte d’Azur in the South of France, is a fitting location for such a story. The beautiful views, luxurious hotels and shops established only for the super rich, all reflect what it is that Irène seeks in life. Cleverly, however, Salvadori is also able to use this setting to add another element of humour to the film, and to show that money doesn’t necessarily buy class, personality or happiness. This theme, which is played upon throughout, is essential to the film’s success. It is this truth which the audience will urge Irène to recognise, in the hope that Jean will succeed in his pursuit.
Cliché and predictability ooze from the script, but this a witty, fast-paced and stylish feature nonetheless. Taotou’s classic beauty and flair, combined with Elmaleh’s almost expressionless charm and clumsy demeanour, results in a pleasantly entertaining film. It’s not quite priceless, but it is definitely valuable viewing. TMO
