Guillaume Canet is Him
Released on October 27, 2021, He is Guillaume Canet’s seventh feature film. This drama explores the inner torments of a composer in search of inspiration, played by Canet himself. The central character, seeking to escape from family and personal problems, retreats to an isolated Breton island. There he confronts his demons in the form of unexpected visitors: his wife, his son, his lover and his doctor, played respectively by Virginie Efira, Mathieu Kassovitz, Laetitia Casta and Nathalie Baye.
The narrative framework of He presents an intimate confrontation between the protagonist and his various relationships and deals with a deep introspection on the life, regrets and aspirations of a man in the midst of an existential crisis.
A “secret” shoot during confinement
The filming of He took place in a particular context, marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. Initially, Guillaume Canet had to work on his ambitious Asterix and Obelix: The Middle Kingdombut production was halted due to the health crisis. Feeling “stuck in his momentum”, he then decided to embark on another “secret” project: He. Written in just four weeks during the 2020 lockdownThe film was shot in a month in September of the same year, with a reduced crew to comply with the health measures in force.
The choice of filming locations played a crucial role in the atmosphere of the film. The scenes were shot mainly in Belle-Île-en-Mer, especially in Sauzon, Locmaria and Le Palais, places that reinforce the sense of isolation and introspective retreat desired by Guillaume Canet. Due to travel restrictions and health protocols, Canet also decided to play the lead himself, although he had initially considered a foreign actress for the role.
A personal film for Guillaume Canet
Despite the fictional aspects of the film, Guillaume Canet admits that it is his most personal work. He explained in the film’s press kit:
“It is undoubtedly my most personal film and contains some elements that I have experienced or felt, but it is not an autobiographical film. I know the asshole who arrives at a certain point in the story. Like the character, I also lived this scene with my father (played by Patrick Chesnais), who left the house when I was ten and a few seconds later had a heart attack behind the door. Like the hero, I grew up with the belief that I was the trigger for his illness. I felt guilty. And, like him, I ask myself daily questions about what it means to be a good father, how can one be one? We would like our children not to grow up too quickly and, at the same time, we would like them to mature faster, we feel helpless… But the film remains a fiction; I am neither crazy nor bipolar (I mean, no more than my hero)“.
Upon its release, the film was a commercial failure, with only 188,000 admissions.
Source: Cine Serie
Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.
