Reviews

In this delightful satire of the "gig economy" and its technofile absurdities, Alexandre, an unemployed father with two young children takes a position at a youth-oriented startup called "The Box" where anything goes except for parenting. With the help of the savvy Arcimbaldo, Alexandre manages to conceal his children while playing up his supposed connection to local officials. His boss Séverine is a haughty go-getter who spews out an endless stream of franglais while losing control of her driver-less car. Drones falling to the sidewalk, quirky Zoom calls, zany gags such as Arcimbaldo agreeing to acts as a stand-in protestor, Uber drivers falling asleep - the film is a feast of comic send-ups. Perhaps with a nod to wacky french comedy - Tati, Louis Funes - Podalydès has crafted an hilarious contemporary satire that takes on the strange consequences of the post-industrial economy.

Alexandra is a manager for the Tokyo branch of a major French investment bank. When the tsunami strikes Fukushima, she is called upon to manage the crisis that threatens Tokyo by her imperious director. With her husband demanding that she flee Tokyo with their children, she struggles to adapt to the unfolding situation. The film ambitiously presents several themes - women in management, workplace solidarity, cross-cultural interactions, parenting during a crisis, and crisis management itself. Viard is in excellent form as she copes with an untenable situation made worse by her director's decisions. The intense experience of a disaster unfolding is exceptionally well presented in a realistic story of corporate culture clashing with human values.

Four working class women employed in a neighbourhood supermarket take up wrestling (le catch) as a show of solidarity for one of their coworkers who is trying to win back her son's affection. Featuring hilarious physical comedy and spunky female characters indulging in the thrills of mock violence and comic super heroine costumes, this is a classic underdog comedy with a twist as women appropriate the usually male-dominated wrestling ring. Nathalie Baye is terrific as the under-appreciated mother, André Dussollier fulminates as their comeback coach, and the other three principals Marilou Berry, Audrey Fleurot, and the goth butcher Corinne Masiero are all marvellous. Lots of laughs and a heart-warming story.