“Space Ranger, but bitter”: L’Esprit Coubertin at the cinema is a sports comedy not to be missed

The Games are coming up, and unless you’ve been living in a cave, it’s hard to miss the event. With the eyes of the world soon to be on France, L’Esprit Coubertin arrives at the cinema at an opportune time. This feature film, the first feature from its director, Jeremy Seine, follows sportsman like no other, Paul Bosquet, a shooting pro. As a character, Benjamin Voisin creates a clumsy, burlesque and endearing hero.

The premise of this project is as crazy as the film itself. It was an article about the large number of condoms distributed to athletes at the Beijing Games that inspired the filmmaker – also co-written by Matias Gavar. Intervening in a micro-community of athletes in complete disarray, Jeremy Sein presents a character unfit for the outside world.

The inspiration for this Paul Bosquet? “My taste in Adam McKay comedies, the English TV series The Office and Napoleon Dynamite which is one of my favorite movies“- explains the director. This hero also has his own face. To represent his appearance, the director follows The Simpsons: “The characters of the series are perfectly portrayed, with their well-defined characteristics. This is how I work, I pay attention to the haircut, the suit. Paul, I envisioned him as a space ranger, but lame.”

As soon as there is a risk, I go immediately. I can be happy or angry.

and this “revival”Tidy up the space, but nasty“, Benjamin Voisin gives everything For the role of Paul Bosquet, the actor had in mind the image of a giraffe. “For its bovine appearance, its very slow feeding and constant running away“, he explains. The actor – a 2022 César winner for Illusions Perdues – was seduced by the script’s tone. “As soon as there is a risk, I go immediately. I can be happy or angry.”

A prophetic comedy

It follows: “I like what Jeremy Sein suggests: it’s a learning story. Silliness, when it is naive and curiously begs to be opened, is very beautiful. This is not nonsense.” The actor is surrounded on the screen by Emmanuelle Bercot as the explosive coach, but also by Laura Phelpin, Grégoire Ludig and Rivaldo Pavavi – for whom this is the first role.

in many ways Spirit of Coubertin has a prophetic dimension. The film deals with issues in today’s society – even bugs – and also pokes fun at the institution that gaming represents. “We have the right to laugh if we know what field we are writing aboutJeremy Sein adds. I’m a huge sports fan, and games are among my earliest television memories, so I believe that to allow yourself to be made fun of, you need a sharp eye or you lose yourself..”

Comments collected by Thomas Desroches, Alpe d’Huez, January 2024.

L’Esprit Coubertin is currently in theaters.