Why we picked it – An entirely believable, continual fast-paced thriller. Allow yourself time to decompress afterwards.
Synopsis – Julie Roy (Laure Calamy) is a single mum with two children. Debts are mounting and her ex-husband is missing along with his alimony. She is barely keeping afloat. Her childcare options are running out; her job, as the head chambermaid at a five-star hotel, is stressful; her commute, from a Paris suburb to the centre of the city, is timed to precision. Just when she thinks there’s a chance of a new opportunity – an interview for a much better job – a strike paralyses the transport network.
The film – The film uses all the techniques and the rhythm of a block-buster action movie: pacey music, jump cuts, tracking shots of Julie through a crowd, but it is entirely believable – an Everywoman coping with everyday life. Laure Calamy and other actresses trained as chambermaids to prepare for their roles and, with the help of a union leader, she spoke to some striking Paris chambermaids about their physical health, the frantic pace of their work and the challenges in their personal lives. Here are two interviews: one with the director Éric Gravel and a second with him and Laure Calamy.
Director: Éric Gravel; Writer: Éric Gravel; Cinematography: Victor Seguin; France, 2021, 88 mins, 12