In Suddenly aloneGilles Lellouche and Mélanie Thierry immerse themselves in their characters with an intensity and passion that inspires admiration. Lilja Jons/Trésor Films/Studiocanal
FLASHBACK – A couple washes up on a deserted island in Antarctica. Mélanie Thierry and Gilles Lellouche are convincing as modern Robinsons who are confronted with a hostile nature.
We don’t say it enough. In Antarctica, the islands often have the disadvantage of being deserted. That has its charm. However, the disadvantages are numerous. It’s not about being shipwrecked there. Ben and Laura learn this the hard way. A storm causes their boat to disappear. They had visited this big rock that was stuck in the middle of the sea and the weather was getting wild. Your sailing trip around the world is at risk. Here they are on dry land in their poor motorized dinghy and suddenly forced to seek shelter in the ruins of an old whaling station. The couple has an interest in staying together. They are cold. They are hungry. You are scared. No radio. They would have to last a maximum of ten days. Without news from them, the man’s brother will become concerned and call emergency services. The man plays soothingly. The woman is more nervous.
The sand is gray, the sky is heavy. They keep an eye out for it, hoping to spot the helicopter that will save them. Ben, no doubt remembering his childhood reading, manages to start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, as in Manuel des Castors Juniors. They feed on shellfish. Your meals unintentionally copy the menus of a Michelin-starred Scandinavian restaurant. A semblance of domestic life takes hold. Apparently they are arguing. It occupies. Deep resentments come to the surface. That is not all. What if we used chalkboards to paint a giant SOS on the ground just to signal its presence to an unlikely plane? Further existential questions break up the monotony of the hours. “If I die first, are you eating me??»
Something physical
Vegans don’t immediately shout out loud, marital cannibalism is not on the agenda. Since the penguins are the only inhabitants of the place, animal rights activists will no doubt be shocked when the hero stuns a penguin before throwing it into the pan. The scriptwriters forgot to include the recipe for this exotic dish. Suddenly alone, inspired by a novel by Isabelle Autissier, has something very physical about it. No offense to Sandrine Rousseau, nature has the ability to turn into an enemy. Bad weather comes after another. Winter is coming. What’s on the other side of the mountain? Time stretches. We set it up as best we can, blowing a whistle or singing Brel by the water. Madness threatens to gain ground. A ship slips off the coast. Too far, too late. The man injures his leg. He will limp until the end. The woman becomes pregnant. The conditions are not ideal.
Gilles Lellouche and Mélanie Thierry immerse themselves in their characters with an intensity and passion that inspires admiration. Obviously they had a hard time. It’s for the good of the film. After a while the roles are reversed. This survival is very cinematic. The landscapes are there, with a vicious dampness and a menacing green. They are hostile and beautiful. The tension is there. Will they survive? In which state? Thomas Bidegain succeeded liberation. He gets away with distinction, breaking ties with the little French dramas. This will not be without disadvantages. Honey, we might cancel the Christmas cruise, right?
The grade of Figaro: 3/4
