PLAY
Theatrical release: January 1, 2020
Duration: 1h48
Director: Anthony Marciano
Main actors: Max Boublil, Anthony Marciano
Synopsis: In 1993, Max was 13 years old when he was given his first camera. For 25 years he did not stop filming. The group of friends, the loves, the successes, the failures. From the 90s to the 2010s, it is the portrait of an entire generation that emerges through his lens.
Who has never reviewed their family album? Who has never tried to find old videos of significant events in our lives such as a wedding or a birth?
These events are an integral part of our history which, when we look at them as adults, we say to ourselves that those were the good times, the time of innocence, of the first kiss….
Coming out of the screening, I only wanted one thing, to turn my computer back on and rewatch the old films made with my camcorder, the video quality of which is more than questionable.
Play is a film that talks about a generation of teenagers who will experience good times together for almost 25 years
The film mixes fiction and realism perfectly and reminds us at certain moments that we experienced the same things, like the 98 World Cup or the transition to the year 2000. And I must admit that after 30 minutes of film, I was completely transported, surprising myself in laughing at the same things as the characters without really knowing why (and even though I had not experienced them with them), quite simply because I found these moments of great sincerity. But I also had my moments of emotion, with a finale which allows the central character to be able to make up for lost time.
The film is generous and will pull on the nostalgia cord without ever overdoing it, with little nods to significant music or films. It should also be noted that the staging is very faithful to the three eras covered by the film, the camera being an integral part of the film and its recording quality increasing over time.
It's one of the best French films I've seen since almost La Famille Bélier, the kind of film that you want to share with everyone like I'm doing here, because it's so rich in emotion.
I recommend this film which will give you joy after the screening.
