My opinion on the film ‘Dans la cour’

The combination of drama and comedy in film can be a tricky terrain to navigate.

The question of whether to strike a balance between the two genres or to lean towards one of them, in the knowledge that this can lead to disappointment and uncertainty, does not have a simple answer.

However, it seems that in the film ‘Dans la cour’, by French director Pierre Salvadori, this question is not a problem.

The film proves to be clear about what it wants to offer without falling into the absurd or the superficial... at least until the director and screenwriter himself decides to betray himself.

The plot is presented quite clearly: Antoine is a middle-aged singer who is tired of music and decides to turn his life around.

At the employment office he is offered an interesting job as a caretaker in a housing estate. Despite Antoine's inexperience, Mathilde, the elderly president of the community, decides to hire him because he conveys a sense of security.

This is understandable, considering that the new doorman is a kind and caring person. However, this is his main flaw, but not his only one, as he also has an unfortunate drug addiction.

The story already has a comic tone from the beginning, which becomes even more evident with the appearance of rather peculiar, typically French characters, who give the film an amusing touch.

The character of Mathilde, played by the veteran Catherine Deneuve, develops a funny subplot, which reaches its peak with a crazy poster-sticking session and the immediate consequences that this entails.

The annoying neighbour character is also very funny, especially when in one particular scene he takes a turn for the absurd, inevitably provoking laughter.

Suddenly, however, this all falls apart. If only we were simply talking about an abrupt cut, for although we would be left with an incomplete film and an inappropriate denouement, at least we would be left with fun and entertainment. But Salvadori did not share this view.

During the last quarter of the film, it takes a turn towards drama that is surprising, both for its unexpected appearance and for its lack of coherence with the overall tone of the film. In the end, ‘Dans la cour’ becomes something of a mishmash, combining a dramatic undercurrent that is maintained for much of the film with a comic tone and some funny moments, but by the end the laughs disappear and we are left with real drama.

This change of tone is not only unnecessary, but also grey. Despite accepting the change of direction in the plot, the final denouement cannot be considered mediocre, as it is logical considering the evolution of the characters throughout the film.

However, even accepting this ending, it is impossible to call ‘Dans la cour’ a completely rounded film, as it gives the impression of a lack of uniformity as a whole.

Although it has a good approach to the story and a great job in the design of the characters (special mention to Gustave de Kervern, as well as Deneuve, for their performances), as well as very successful gags, every film faces a new challenge with its denouement, and in this case we cannot consider it satisfactory, as it is too abrupt a change of pace, no matter how realistic it pretends to be.

It is therefore advisable to watch ‘Dans la cour’ with an open mind and without getting carried away by the comic sense that is perceived during the first hour and a quarter of the film. Whether that is really possible is another matter, of course.