An immersion “in body” and soul in the world of dance, by Cédric Klapisch

© Emmanuelle Jacobson-Roques

REVIEW — With his fourteenth feature film En corps, Cédric Klapisch proves that he still has things to say and that he knows how to say them, especially how to film them. The world he immerses us in is that of dance. A theme that fascinates him and with which he is particularly familiar: in 2005 in Les Poupées Russes, he filmed a Bolshoi ballerina at the Mariinsky Theatre, then in 2010 he made the documentary on the star dancer Aurélie Dupont, which earned him a Fipa d’Or. With En corps, he devotes himself fully to this environment that fascinates him, and manages to make it fascinating.

In an intense first scene of about fifteen minutes, Cédric Klapisch immerses us in the backstage of a show at the Paris Opera. Almost without dialogue, we already focus on what the body transmits in emotion and energy. As she prepares to go on stage, the show's principal dancer, Élise Gautier, played by Manon Barbeau, sees her boyfriend kissing another dancer in the wings. Disoriented, she has no choice but to play her part. She enters the stage and perfectly executes movements that she has rehearsed many times. Only her gaze betrays her thoughts, but the audience pays no attention, carried away in the whirlwind of her tutu and the grace of her openings. Nothing can betray the turmoil brewing inside her body. Nothing, except a fall in the middle of the show that forces the curtains to suddenly fall. 

 With an injured ankle, Élise learns that she has little chance of regaining the original flexibility of her ankle, and therefore of dancing again. Between Paris and Brittany, through encounters and experiences, she gets closer to a contemporary dance company. This new way of dancing allows her to find new momentum, and a new way of living. The body is at the center of attention. Cédric Klapisch films it from all angles, in its movements, in an almost experimental way at times. In any case, in a style that we did not know him to have before… From the aerial specific to classical dance, he very rightly manages to make a transition to contemporary dance. Little by little, the bodies anchor themselves to the ground. The movements are more direct, less light, more energetic.  

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 Cédric Klapisch films the body, but also delivers a reflection on its mysteries. On the path to healing her ankle, Élise realizes that she must also relieve the pain of her soul. Perhaps it is even the dysfunction of the latter that is at the origin of her injury; destabilized by the world that collapsed before her eyes backstage, Élise collapsed in turn on stage, losing the stability in her supports. To heal, she must regain her balance.  This is where we can see the genius of Cédric Klapisch: everything suggests, during the opening scene, yet another melodrama about a woman who is cheated on by her partner. But the challenge of the film is elsewhere, in the deconstruction of the body, its articulation, that of the ankles — but also the articulation between the body and the mind, the articulation between fragility and strength, the articulation between two bodies that meet and also intertwine, to rebuild themselves. By mixing professional actors and professional dancers, Cédric Klapisch was not mistaken. This is even what gives the film all its accuracy. For Manon Barbeau (Élise), principal dancer at the Paris Opera, this is her first role on the big screen. If in the first scenes, we have difficulty reaching her in her emotions, we become attached to her as the story progresses. The hardness of her expressions ultimately becomes a strength in her acting. The characters who surround her in her journey all have their role to play and are perfectly embodied by actors whose acting harmonizes like a choreography. François Civil (Yan) plays a physiotherapist who is endearing in his clumsiness, Denis Podalydès plays a father who is a lawyer and is gifted in pleading, who paradoxically does not know how to talk to his daughters, Muriel Robin, in the role of the owner of an artist's residence, plays a surrogate mother for a time for Élise who is astonishingly kind, Pio Marmaï (Loïc), in a fierce and wild role, forms a canteen couple on screen with Souheila Yacoub (Sabrina), refreshingly spontaneous. Choreographer Hofesh Shechter plays himself and also composed the film's music with Thomas Bangalter. The dancers Germain Louvet, Alexia Giordano, Damien Chapelle, Mehdi Baki, also take their place completely as actors, in addition to being captivating as dancers. 

 En corps is a real ode to dance, movement and the body. The film's pitch, although simple, is ultimately full of complexity, because it is associated with reflections that go beyond the simple intellectual framework of relationships to reflect on what the body has to say, to hide, to reveal. Cédric Klapisch creates an exciting story, perfectly exploiting the cinematographic possibilities brought by body movements, variations in rhythm, synchronicities… while retaining what has made his identity as a director since L’auberge espagnole: creating a recreational atmosphere in which one feels good, capable of healing all wounds. En corps, 1h58min, a film by Cédric Klapisch, in theaters March 30, 2022.“Goliath”: a true societal lesson against an ecological backdrop REVIEW — While its committed dimension will surely prevent it from flirting with the greatest, “Goliath” still lives up to its name. The long time of the realization cin… March 14, 2022 – 12:00 Culture

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