Zero F*cks Given

Adèle Exarchopoulos gives a magnetic performance as a gloomy flight attendant who wanders through her job and everyday life. Once again, the french actress amazes, but this time projecting the sorrow of a woman stricken by grief and monotony. The scene in which we discover the fate of someone close to her — through a customer service call — is sad and powerful. But the story —or vignette collection, because there's no narrative per se — gets in an underwhelming territory as it goes by. Sure, her emotions are more transparent by the end, but some scenes feel redundant. Also, 'Zero **** Given' feels like two different movies: a critique of the low coast flights industry in the first part and a study about grief in the second. The connection is strangely random. Either way, Exarchopoulo's presence is enough to get involved with her downhearted character. The movie reminded me of "Pleasure" and "Sweat"; they all portray the oppressive environment in which women try to develop professionally. The lighting, the structure, and the documentary-like approach are the same, but the narrative is lacking. I hope this trend finds more focus shortly.

(Mauro Lanari) - I'm sure that if we don't do anything things will get worse. - Yeah, but I don't really believe in change... We're not the same age, so what we can sacrifice isn't the same. - Don't believe in change? Meaning? What about the future? - I don't even know if I'll be alive tomorrow. The film goes on like this for about 40 minutes, and is extraordinary, with the dialogues, editing, costumes, make-up, in the sharp and lashing description of the human condition. Then 26-year-old Cassandre sheds a tear thinking about the change of ownership of the mother's mobile phone to herself, and the feature-length debut by Emmanuel Marre and Julie Lecoustre brings us back to the usual double track of sociological explanation on the alienating "gig economy" and on that of the "character study" with the psychological explanation of an unelaborated mourning, as if death needed particular reasons to prevail over existence. Adèle Exarchopoulos removes make-up, stops being interested in the sexual vitalism of the title, agrees to confront her family and wears a new mask, this time more integrated and comformist.