For her first production, screenwriter and loyal collaborator of Stéphane Brize, Florence Vignon adapts Thierry Beinstingel’s book for the big screen.They desert“.
Standing Man Zita Hanrot plays opposite Jacques Gamblin. In order to get a CDI at the wallpaper company that has just hired him, Clemens Alfaro (Hanroth) must push Henry Giffard (Gamblin), a sales representative at the end of his course, into early retirement. It is necessary to rejuvenate the image of the small box. But Giffard refuses. His work seems to be the only thing that still gives meaning to his life. Caught between the prospect of a professional future that will allow him to escape his family problems and the unexpected love he experiences for a sales representative, Clemens must choose…
In 2010, César awarded for the best adaptation of Mademoiselle Chambon, Florence Vignon wrote the screenplay A few hours of spring and life.
The latter wanted to go behind the camera for a few years, he also directed the short film Le Premier pas in 1999. When Florence Vignon was offered an adaptation of Thierry Beinstingel’s novel, she accepted on the condition that she direct the film.
“I agreed on the condition that it would be my first feature film. I came out! Thierry Beinshtingel’s novel had everything I like, lonely and lost characters, sadness, absurdity, pathos and morality.
Jacques Gamblin and Zita Hanrot
Material for cinema and an opportunity to work on topics dear to me. Freedom of will in the face of social and familial determinism, the meaning we give to our lives, and I am troubled by the question that tells us: Is it too late to change course?*”
Power relations in the workplace
In “Standing Man” it’s really a question of social pressure and especially the balance of power and dominance in the world of work.
The director explains: “In order to save their own skin, each is driven to be destroyed in a kind of food chain, cruel and merciless. But the pressure in the film doesn’t just come from the company, it also comes from the family sphere, especially Clemens Henry. He resists making himself an executioner, refusing to see himself clinging to his work for fear of emptiness and loneliness.*.”
A social and political film that resonates with current events, which hits theaters this Wednesday, May 17.
* Comments taken from the film’s press kit.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
