In her feature film debut The Clip, Louis-Julien Petit portrayed a France far from Pariselit and cafémys. Then he let the underpaid workers in a low-price department store revolt. Now he has taken another step down the social ladder, and has landed in a center for homeless women. No yellow vests are visible, here the main characters are people without voice, but well with integrity and sense of humor.
At a daycare center somewhere in France, homeless women are offered a coffee, shower, bus tickets and laundry. The business is run with caring iron hand by four super-engaged social workers. But .. the center generates substandard results, municipal politicians think. None of the "clients" seem to succeed in becoming good citizens of society.
Here are old prison interns, escort ladies, addicts and young wind-driven existences. When the closure decision comes, the four employees decide to turn their back on the bureaucracy and regulations and instead try to help the women in a creative way. They falsify educational certificates, freeze truths, arrange job squares, and create a large, illegal night hostel.
Like colleagues Stephane Brizé and Ken Loach, Petit seems to have given up on welfare and society's functions. Market control and it is hardly worthwhile to organize within the system. It sounds deplorable but The Invisible is a fun movie that shines in its place on par with Ken Loach in high form. Fight from below that can give the individual a damn embrace, combined with organization that gives the collective power. Laughter and crying emphasize each other.
Unfortunately, the invisible people suffer from such great problems in script and structure that it is sometimes difficult to understand what is happening and why. It is sad to have to hang on to details that are really irrelevant but that you get stuck on against your will. Who is who? Is she with him? Well, was she the boss ... or?
The script is swaying and the storytelling grips are confused between documentary, straight comedy and artistic collage. Fortunately, the amateur actors (who themselves have been homeless) are steadily and completely taking over with absurd amounts of comic talent, presence and energy. They steal the show from the professional actors, though they do a good job too. Especially Audrey Lamy who in her everyday role radiates despair in some of the more well-written scenes.
Most notably, the old putrid Chantal (Van Meerhaeghe) who turns out to be fine at cooking home appliances shines. But fixing a job for her becomes a challenge because she is constantly insisting on being very sincere with her resume. “I learned electronics in prison after I killed my husband. It is important to be honest. "
In hindsight, it is not the flaws of the script I remember, but an old homeless killer who makes toasters.