How do you show the unspeakable? That's what Camille Japy tries to do with her first feature film behind the camera, Sous le tapis. In this immersion into the heart of a family drama, we come face to face with the darkness of loss in all its cruelty. It's a film that shows things as they really are, with no sugar-coating. Dropped right into the middle of a complicated family, we witness a succession of comic and tragic scenes, which aptly and brutally evoke the reality of these moments.
Odile(Ariane Ascaride) is a grandmother preparing to celebrate her birthday. Her children and grandchildren are about to arrive, when her husband Jean(Bernard Alane) suddenly passes away. An improbable situation ensues, in which Odile tries everything to avoid facing this reality...
Our verdict:
Camille Japy paints the picture of a slightly convoluted blended family, where everyone wonders a little why they're there. Between denial and acceptance of grief, each character reveals his or her own way of coping with loss. Denial, in fact, is the film's central theme: as long as death remains unspoken, it doesn't exist. The weight of the unspoken, of family secrets, all weigh heavily on the film, once again without sparing us.
By choosing not to spare us, the director leads us to question our own relationship with death. What role do we play in these tragic moments? Do we opt for drama, denial or impassivity? Odile's character embodies the anguish of losing a loved one, to the point of refusing to accept an inescapable reality. At the other end of the spectrum, Sylvie, aptly played by Bérénice Bejo, symbolizes a violent lack of understanding for forms of grief far removed from her own.
Sous le tapis hits the nail on the head, touching us with its approach to a difficult theme, even if some aspects may appear a little clichéd - such as the character played by Stéphane Brel, whose dialogue and narration are rather predictable. The film also features a specially-composed soundtrack by the singer M, which adds a touch of sentimentality and sweetness.
Sous le tapis is a sincere, realistic family drama that leaves no one indifferent. It leaves us bewildered and a little disoriented. And that's the film's strength: the very image of life returning to its normal course.
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