The trailer above is in French but the film will screen with English subtitles during the Festival.
Many of us have been to a circus and enjoyed the performances but how many of us have seen what happens behind the scenes? Director Lea Fehner does just that in Les Ogres. We see the entertainers’ joys and heartaches as they travel from town to town trying to preserve a lucrative business and their own personal lives.
We follow this troop touring across the country, their tent and stage on the back of a truck and their belongings in caravans, carrying their lives, their dreams and their families. They take Chekhov on the road.
Following an accident, Francis (the circus manager) asks Lola, his former lover, to take over a role, under the anxious eyes of his wife Ines. About to give birth, Mona (one of the performers) goes on with the show along with the baby’s father, Mark, with painful memories. The whole company is caught up in a whirlwind of theatre and emotions.
This is truly an ensemble cast and it would be unfair to single out anyone, except for the manager of the troop and his wife. Francois Fehner (the Director’s father) and Marion Bouvarel provide the force that drives this circus. Like the other characters, they have their own problems (a past affair with a newcomer performer), but unite together to keep the circus tradition alive. They are gritty, emotional but above all real people.
When the troop are faced with closure (after an indecent act when performing to children), the performers band together to save the circus, their livelihoods and their relationships.
While this film is enjoyable and certainly engrossing, this reviewer felt it was about 30 minutes too long. 144 minutes is taxing near the end, especially when the pace slows dramatically and a new character is introduced. At the screening I saw, approximately 10 people left before the end.
Judicious editing, particularly of the extended shots of character’s faces to register their emotions would improve the pace of the film.
Overall, a fascinating glimpse into a world most of us will never see, but a little long.
Reviewed by Barry Hill
Twitter: @kinesguy
Rating out of 10: 7
Les Ogres will screen again on 9 April only for the Alliance Francaise French Film Festival, which runs 30 March – 23 April 2017 exclusively at the Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas.
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