Sharp, witty, clever, and deliciously nasty!
It is summer, and in the south of France wealthy families are having their annual, three-month, holiday. Amongst these are the Trousselards: lawyer-father Philippe, actress-mother Laurence, aspiring actress-daughter Garance, and Garance’s law-graduate boyfriend, Mehdi. Down the hill from their luxury home is the caretaker’s cottage, inhabited by long-term employees, the Azizi family. Tony and Nadine clean and maintain the Trousselards’ home, while daughter Marylou has been a friend of Garance’s since they were very young. All continues as usual this summer, until a series of minor incidents triggers a boil-over of long-held class resentments (the original French title Classe Moyenne, translates to Middle Class). A pleasant holiday disintegrates into litigation, violence, and chaos.
Directed and co-written by Antony Cordier, The Party’s Over (Classe Moyenne) is stuffed full of satirical humour, socio-political commentary, and French provincial scenery. Much of this humour revolves around the fulcrum of Tony and Nadine, played by two of France’s most popular (and brilliant) performers: Ramzy Bedia and Laure Calamy. Individually they work wonders, but together they are a powerhouse of sexiness, slapstick, and pitch-perfect comedy. Laurent Lafitte as Philippe, and Élodie Bouchez as Laurence, balance this out well with their mannered delivery of the classic French couple of the classe moyenne.
Cordier has crafted an ensemble piece which is redolent of Yasmina Reza, yet still stands on its own merits; a proud inheritor of the comedy lineage of commedia and Grand Guignol. Class is still alive and well in many countries, including France. The arrival of “new money” muddies the waters even further, and makes for material which is social commentary wrapped in uproarious hilarity. Do not doubt it: The Party’s Over (Classe Moyenne) is très, très French!
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Rating out of 4.5 out of 5
Distributor: Potential Films
