Les Irréductibles (2006)
Directed by Renaud Bertrand

Film Review

Renaud Bertrand's brave stab at a social comedy would undoubtedly have had much greater impact if it had focused on its central theme - a middle-aged man's struggle against unemployment - instead of attempting to cobble together various half baked story ideas.  This was Bertrand's first cinema film, and it shows.  A great fan of Ken Loach's films, he had previously made several films of television, which could explain why this feels painfully like standard TV fare - a watchable but pretty vacuous comedy-drama.

Assuming you are not put off by the hideous theme song that companies the opening credits (and which is reprised several times during the film), you will probably soon grow tired of the abundance of clichés and plot digressions which weaken the central narrative and pretty well obliterate our sympathy for the main characters.  Things take a turn for the frankly ridiculous when Bertrand starts to throw in some musical detours which serve no purpose other that to expose the film's startling superficiality.   This is a shame because the film's basic premise clearly has some mileage and the performances (from a high calibre cast) are generally pretty respectable.

Film Synopsis

Michel and Gérard have a rude awakening the day they are dismissed from the factory where they have been employed for the past twenty years.  Now in their forties, both men face the daunting prospect of finding new jobs and soon realise that their efforts will be futile unless they can both acquire some useful qualifications.  Their only hope is to go back to school and take their baccalaureate.  The one person who is most displeased with this comical turn of events is Gérard's son Philippe, who cannot bear the prospect of being back at school in the same class as his father after failing his own end of year exams.  Naturally, both men find themselves on the receiving end of their neighbours' sarcasm as they struggle to regain their dignity and self-confidence.  Undeterred, Michel and Gérard stick to the course they have chosen, but when the day of the exam approaches they start to wonder if they have made the right decision...