Lignes de fuite (2022) a.k.a. Lines of Escape

Lignes de fuite in French means “lines of leak”. That is why this film is also titled Lines of Escape. If ever, this has nothing to do with Dominic Glynn‘s storybook, nor with Félix Guattari‘s, both of which have the same name. And I could go on and on! Indeed, Monique Molière, Serge Raffy, David Baudemont… so many people who have made works entitled Lignes de fuite.

Let’s move on to this film, which I thought I’d hate. But, as it turns out, it’s not as bad as I imagined. Admittedly, it starts off rather badly, because it’s so banal… but the further I got into it, the more intrigued I became. The dialogue became less and less hollow and insipid. The characters may be quite unbearable, but I ended up getting attached to them and even feeling some sympathy.

Three women who have been friends for a very long time see each other regularly, despite the years that separate them from their high school years. But after Covid, people’s lives have changed. You’re either with people or against them. If they don’t agree with us, we throw them out. No more time for big debates! However, the end of the film was not what I expected. It’s more interesting than I imagined.

Catherine Chabot is one of the main actresses, but she also directed this feature film, which is itself based on her play. Excellent, both as an actress and as a screenwriter. I particularly liked Mariana Mazza, who is first and foremost a Quebec comedian of Uruguayan and Lebanese origin. Maxime de Cotret is also excellent in the role of the fiancé of the woman who discovers she is pregnant.

I found a review from someone who didn’t get too wet or dwell on anything: “Navet … long and pointless, all bickering and shouting. I like the actors in this film but the story is frankly bad”. So… of course you can say to yourself ‘Pffff, misery of misery… this film is a calamity!’ You might find it too funny or not funny enough, too sex-focused, too hollow, too superficial… in short, you might find it a horror!

Which is what I myself had started to do. But I always try to keep a broad mind. The dialogue is rather tedious and not really funny, at least for the first half hour. And, even at first, I found it very hard to stay in front of this film, because it’s the kind of cinema that generally annoys me! I told myself that this was a film in front of which you could do anything: talk to your friends, your partner, play cards, eat without looking at the screen or even go for a walk… but no!

Lignes de fuite” leaves you rather stunned and a little stunned, because the last half-hour is pretty crazy and unbelievable. We smile a lot until the meeting between three high school girlfriends and their spouses, which was supposed to be a party, turns sour. At that point, if we’re still laughing, it’s because we’re laughing yellow. The veneer of friendship quickly cracks when these three mismatched couples are confronted with their vision of the future.

Someone said: “This Quebec film reminded me of Parasite, the Oscar-winning Korean film where everything went wrong against a stormy backdrop. Brilliant and gripping!”

So, personally, I’d never have made that connection, and that’s where it’s interesting to have all sorts of opinions. There’s an actress who speaks half in English and half in French throughout the film. It was fun for me as I speak both languages.

Satirical comedy to see probably once for theatre fans. If it’s just because you love these actors that you’re watching, you might be disappointed depending on what you expected.