With Joli Joli, director Diastème brings us an intoxicating musical comedy that thrills audiences with the sounds of the 70s, between Paris and Rome. Clara Luciani, in her first major film role, shines alongside William Lebghil and José Garcia in a poetic fresco of love, music and nostalgia. In an age when the grand halls of the Champs-Élysées are but a distant memory, the film revives the magic of yesteryear, supported by an assertive retro aesthetic and a mise-en-scène that pays homage to the great classics of the genre.
Joli Joli will be released in cinemas from December 25, 2024.
Synopsis: From Paris to Rome in the 70s, the destiny of a broke writer collides with that of a rising film star. Their path to love is strewn with pitfalls, misunderstandings and twists and turns. A whirlwind musical comedy!
Clara Luciani, known for her smooth voice and charisma on stage, comes as a pleasant surprise in the role of Lola, a rising actress in 70s cinema. Her soft, nuanced performance reveals a fragility that endears her immediately. Opposite her, William Lebghil plays a disillusioned writer with disarming sincerity. Their duet, sometimes mischievous, sometimes melancholy, gives rise to scenes of tender complicity reminiscent of the finest cinematic romances.
But it's José Garcia, in the role of a disillusioned producer in love, who makes a lasting impression. Already noted for his performances in dramatic comedies such as Nous les Leroy, he brings a deeply moving intensity to the role. The secondary characters, played by Laura Felpin and Grégoire Ludig, enrich the ensemble with performances as funny as they are moving, bringing a perfect balance between drama and lightness.
Joli Joli 's aesthetic choices are a declaration of love to 70s cinema. Under the guidance of set designer Chloé Cambournac and costume designer Alexandra Charles, the sumptuous sets and brightly saturated costumes instantly plunge viewers into an era when cinema rhymed with splendor and extravagance.
The bold choice to shoot in the studio, even on location, lends the film a theatrical, dreamlike atmosphere, reminiscent of Jacques Demy's timeless style. Cinematographer Philippe Guilbert magnifies each shot with subtle lighting effects and chromatic palettes that oscillate between dream and reality.
Each musical sequence is a living painting, where the choreography, though sometimes classical, blends naturally into the narrative. However, some tracks suffer from a certain superficiality, sometimes seeming more decorative than narrative, which slightly attenuates their emotional impact.
French cinema rarely ventures into the delicate terrain of contemporary musical comedy, and that's what makes Joli Joli all the more precious. Diastème dares to blend chiseled dialogue with songs that are sometimes moving, sometimes light-hearted, while tackling universal themes such as passion, ambition and disillusionment with love.
However, certain songs seem to be there for the pleasure of the musical aesthetic rather than to really serve the story, sometimes creating a slight break in the film's overall rhythm. But this flaw remains minor in comparison with the overall generosity of the work and thesincere emotion that emanates from it.
Joli Joli is a bubble of sweetness and nostalgia, a love letter to the musicals of yesteryear and the romantic cinema of the 70s. While some of the songs would have benefited from a little more narrative depth, the charm of the film is enhanced by a committed cast, sumptuous art direction anddelicately poetic direction.
A heart-warming film that proves that French musicals still have great stories to tell.
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