Un triomphe

One of France’s biggest movie stars Kad Merad (Welcome to the Ch’tis) headlines Emmanuel Courcol’s comedic drama as down-on-his-luck Etienne, an actor and theatre director who reluctantly accepts a job teaching acting to the inmates of a prison. Warming to his new role and impressed with the latent possibilities he uncovers in the diverse group of convicts he is working with, Etienne hatches an ambitious plan: he wants to mount a production of Samuel Beckett’s absurdist classic Waiting for Godot—and he wants permission from the authorities to tour the production… With a heart as big as the outsized personalities displayed by the convicts-cum-thespians, Courcol’s genuinely humanistic work alternates laughs and drama with a masterful attention to telling moments and character quirks that fuel the film. Merad is, as always, a joy to watch, but the surprise comes in the equally captivating performances of his supporting troupe. When the lights come up, you will be smiling…