On Tour by Mathieu Amalric

On Tour is much more than the tale of Joachim, an unpleasant producer converted to New Burlesque strip-tease who returns to France after his violent escape to America. Far from a simple redemption story of a man in conflict with his life, the film focuses on the fragile yet deeply moving border between laughter and tears, euphoria and gravity. No forgiveness or second chance is offered to these fragile people struggling with their own failures. When Joachim, played by a gigantic and crazy Mathieu Amalric himself, and his favourite performer - the extraordinary Mimi Le Meaux - are talking in a deserted hotel corridor, harsh words suddenly become naïve, and the whole movie walks along this path. Each show is an invitation to discover the fantastical and spectacular facets of its performers, but beside every shiny set, glitter disappears behind human cracks.

In this small striking place - between the realities of these five women, playing reflections of themselves, and the characters written - On Tour reveals its precious value. Mathieu Amalric places himself in a demanding form of cinema wherein characters and stories are sketched, leaving our imagination fill in the holes and continue to write the events afterwards. This disordered fairytale - Amalric the old-fashioned Prince and his naked Princesses - creates a messy yet charming modern French alternative to the American road movie.

By Geoffrey Crété