Mon Roi – Film Review by Frank L

Director: Maïwenn
Writers: Etienne Comar (screenplay), Maïwenn (screenplay)
Stars: Vincent Cassel, Emmanuelle Bercot, Louis Garrel

The film begins with Toni (Emmanuelle Bercot) having a skiing accident which results in her having to spend a year in rehab. This gives her the opportunity to reflect on her life, and in particular her time with Georgio (Vincent Cassell), a suave, fast moving playboy. She fell for him more or less at first sight and lo and behold they had a kid. Remarkably, she is a high-powered lawyer, but certainly not a perceptive one, as Georgio had the word “CAD” printed in block capitals on his forehead. Initially they had spent a good deal of time in the horizontal discovering the shapes of each other’s body and while in the vertical they gorged themselves at various tables eating smart food with his raffish collection of vacuous friends. Her work as a lawyer is kept almost entirely out of shot. But having a good time is part of her social make-up too and in rehab she keeps her spirits up in the company of many handsome young men who have injured an odd limb. Her time in rehab lasts approximately a year. The movie lasts a mere two hours but it could have been a year in duration given its tedious nature.

Maïwenn, the director, has co-written this dull piece so she is partially responsible for the wafer thin, predictable story line of any girl who meets a wastrel. Maïwenn could at least have introduced characters of some interest in the motley group of friends but she chose not to. It is to be hoped that no one else ever again suffers a skiing accident and has a year in which to reflect upon their life to date in rehab, or if they do their life, it is of more interest than that of Toni and her time with Georgio.