Rock’n Roll Review
By Andres Hernandez
Edited by Carl Cottingham
Are you ‘Rock’n Roll’? What would you do if someone tells you that you are not fun or sexy anymore? Director and actor, Guillaume Canet, explore this premise in his new film Rock’n Roll, where he and his wife, Marion Cotillard, play a comedic and exaggerated version of themselves driving through the French film industry and the people’s perception of their celebrity status and appearance.
This celebrity satire follows Canet into an aggravated and self destructive path after he finds out, from his young costar (Camille Rowe), that he is not longer ‘Rock’n Roll’. Canet’s midlife crisis takes different turns as he tries to prove he is in fact ‘Rock’n Roll’ and he can still sell movies. He becomes obsessed with appearance and lifestyle. He sees his life with Marion and their kid a little too conventional and ordinary. When he brings his issues up to his wife, he’s received with a self-involved, career-focused actress that doesn’t pay attention to his absurd complaints.
During the two hours of the film (a little too much for a comedy), Canet goes through a ludicrous transformation in his pursuit to the ‘Rock’n Roll’ status he craves. On the other hand, Cotillard portraits a committed, yet a little all-over-the-place, actress dealing with the idiocy of her husband and her role as housewife and mother. The movie includes quotes and references from both actors’ previous work where they make fun of the types of characters they’ve played in the past. All of this leads to a finale that’s not entirely conventional or expected, but absolutely funny.
Canet (known in America for his role in The Beach) offers a charismatic and somehow naïve comedic performance which evolves to a narcissistic and self-involved egomaniac but always with a lot of love for his wife. He isn’t afraid of his portrayal of himself and is willing to go far and beyond for the sake of comedy.
For those who are used to see Cotillard in more dramatic roles, this will be a shot of fresh air and a pleasant surprise. She manages to make fun of herself and her career without being too cartoonish or exaggerated. Who would’ve thought she is, in fact, a really funny actress.
If you don’t mind subtitles or speak fluent French, you should definitely watch this film. You’ll be laughing the entire time (again, even if it’s a little too long). Some jokes might be lost but the laughter never will.
8/10
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