Light tale of indebtedness is all we need

Humour and a touch of romance elevate French drama A Difficult Year as it examines the evils of over-consumerism.

Humour and a touch of romance elevate French drama A Difficult Year as it examines the evils of over-consumerism.

The lighthearted French drama A Difficult Year opens with a Black Friday sale at a shopping mall. When the security guards unlock the main doors, people storm inside and fight over large-screen televisions. It’s something we’ve all seen on the news and pretend we’d never do ourselves.

One of the out-of-control consumers is Albert (Pio Marmai), who has already pre-sold a large-screen TV on eBay, at a marked-up price. When, soon after, he takes it to the buyer’s home, he finds him barely conscious.

Bruno (Jonathan Cohen) ignores Albert and the TV and heads to another room. When Albert asks what he’s doing, he replies that he’s going somewhere “to die in peace”.

And so an unexpected friendship is born. The connection is that Bruno and Albert are each deeply in debt. Albert is a baggage handler at the airport and often sleeps there. Bruno is separated from his wife and their eight-year-old son.

They are helped by Henri (Mathieu Amalric), who runs a non-profit organisation. He tells people in debt to ask themselves three pre-purchase questions: Do I need this? Do I really need this? Do I really need this now?

He assures them, “There is no shame here”, which is just as well when his own personal spending problem is revealed a bit later.

The opening Black Friday sale is also the scene of a protest against over-consumerism, led by the young and beautiful Valentine (Noemie Merlant), who has her own backstory.

One things leads to another and Albert and Bruno join Valentine’s group. They’re both attracted to her but Albert takes the running on this. Bruno is still in love with his ex. A scene where he meets her, and their son, and uses the word “puff” in place of the forbidden word “love” is quite beautiful.

This is the set-up: two men who have debts they cannot repay become friends and join a protest group because its leader is attractive. You can see how this may cause problems.

A Difficult Year – which is also a mantra of various French presidents in addresses to the nation – is written and directed by filmmaking partners Eric Toledano and Oliver Nakache, who made the impressive The Intouchables in 2011.

It takes a serious idea – how we consume more than we need and what this commodification is doing to the planet and its people – and considers it with a lot of humour and a touch of romance.

A Difficult Year (MA15+)

103 Minutes
In cinemas

★★★