Bonne Conduite: the new hit from Jonathan Barré (the Palmashow) - review and trailer

Until now, Jonathan Barré has been best known as the invisible third member of the Palmashow. Indeed, he is the director of all the two comedians' sketches, as well as their two films: La Folle Histoire de Max et Léon and Les Vedettes. For the first time, the young filmmaker is embarking on a more personal project: Bonne Conduite, due for release in cinemas on March 29.

The trailer for Good Conduct

And although the film is not written by David Marsais and Grégoire Ludig, they do play a role in it. A secondary one, however. Bonne Conduite stars the brilliant Laure Calamy, who's been seen everywhere (in 2022, she appeared in Annie Colère, L'Origine du Mal and Les Cyclades). A police comedy about a murderess who preys only on hit-and-run drivers, we can't wait to see the result on the big screen.

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Our opinion

This is a very special film! After two feature-length films with the Palmashow that allowed him to hone his style, Jonathan Barré returns with this unique comedy. A comedy thriller that borrows heavily from genre films, Bonne Conduite is very reminiscent of John Carpenter, whether through its masterful soundtrack, which magnifies the work, or through its car, which is obviously reminiscent of Christine. The music is even reminiscent of Nicolas Winding Refn's films.

But that's not all: Good Driving is above all a formidable director's film. It may be a light comedy, but Jonathan Barré takes his subject matter as seriously as any American film by a big name. The young filmmaker's influences are evident in every scene, but they don't overload the clear, finely-staged narrative.

Above all, it's rare to see a comedy that combines the quality of direction and the writing of its characters so well. Indeed, Barré cut his teeth with the Palmashow, so he knows better than anyone how to correctly identify a comic trope and give it an instant way to create humor. The cast includes many of the faces seen in the Palmashow's sketches(Thomas VDB, Sixtine Aupetit, Julien Pestel, David Salles and many others), as well as Olivier Marchal, all of whom play delightful secondary roles. And in the middle of this gallery of characters, the immense Laure Calamy, who, with each role, asserts herself a little more as the greatest French actress of her generation, and of course, David Marsais and Grégoire Ludig as the duo of incompetent cops, as hilarious as ever.

In short, Bonne Conduite is a breath of fresh air in French cinema and an excellent advert for road safety. What more could you ask for?

Good Conduct synopsis

Pauline has her own method for road safety: a trainer at a points recovery center by day, she transforms herself into a serial killer of hit-and-run drivers by night.

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