Time Out (2001)

Highly Recommended

France

Feature Film

Original Title: L'emploi du temps

Director: Laurent Cantet

Writers: Robin Campillo, Laurent Cantet

Cinematographer: Pierre Milon

Composer: Jocelyn Pook

Cast: Aurélien Recoing, Karin Viard, Serge Livrozet, Jean-Pierre Mangeot, Monique Mangeot, Nicolas Kalsch

Cantet’s unnerving, affecting (and allegorical?) exploration of midlife crisis and capitalist disaffection – in which a man, recently made redundant, keeps up the pretence of working, going to increasingly desperate lengths in order to maintain his subterfuge – is a film of great power, boasting an outstanding central performance and enough ideas to fill a dozen films. Iain.Stott