QUICK AND DIRTY: LIVE FROM CANNES
When they’re caught for kidnapping a cat under the influence of alcohol, Mika (Paul Kircher) and Dan (Idir Azougli) are advised to clean up, get promising jobs and turn their lives around and escape a prolonged prison sentence. Their mutual pal Tony (Salif Cissé) employs the duo on his radioactive waste site, but Dan’s behaviour becomes increasing erratic. In fact, he doesn’t seem bothered about his recent epileptic attack, which concerns Mika who struggles to live a life independently.
The two characters are both in their 20’s, although it would be hard to judge that based on their juvenile behaviour. Dan has no qualms dancing on the side of rooftops, or dangling over heavy machinery that could potentially kill him. Things worsen further when Tony tries to bribe the pair when an accident occurs, infuriating Mika in the process.
Meteors is a weak movie for a number of reasons. It has no moral compass except that drunken behaviour can lead to regrettable decisions. Jokes come quick and fast during the first 15 minutes, but then they dry up, making for a dour viewing experience. Kircher looks lost as Mika, unable to deliver on the emotional undertones his character demands, and comes off as bratty rather than concerned. Azougli seems more comfortable during the comedic moments, and seems mousy in the setpieces where his Dan considers disappearing from the planet. The most well-adjusted performance stems from Cissé, but he’s barely onscreen.
Some of the characters are poorly written. The man who owns the waste agency has no discernible characteristics than be weasly, snotty and concerned with self-interest. The doctor who informs Dan of the consequences behind rampant drinking is blunt and unable to qualify emotions into words. Most alarmingly, none of the women onscreen have anything to do but spout exposition regarding the two central leads, a guaranteed Bechdel fail. Most of the people onscreen are bland, or pander to the clichés regularly explored in adolescent dramas.
Director Hubert Charuel feels more relaxed shooting the exteriors, not least an exquisite ceremony in which the local French authorities return a fish to its natural pond. The grey buildings that bore Mika to tears are documented with elegant poise; an almost documentary flourish that aids the world-building. Charuel is in his element, which is all the greater pity that he couldn’t deliver a similar awe from the actors, parroting lines with minimal effort.
Mika annoys people by asking questions regarding the environment, but there’s no great payoff. It’s hinted that he freelances as a journalist, but very little is added to the performance to show that he’s a natural detective. The characters chat, jibber jabber and gossip, but the plot remains still. Meteors plods on at a protracted pace. Nothing meteoric here.
Those hoping for comedy are in for a disappointment. The picture carries on and on. The boys meet with their lawyers to discuss their trial. Tony drives his workers to the waste plants daily. And there are some images of Mika’s dreams, showing the love and also fears he holds for his pal. But it never truly adds up to anything substantial, and though the footage looks pretty, this is ultimately a cold viewing experience.
Meteors just premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of the 78th Festival de Cannes.
