Le Brio is a French drama comedy has found its way to cinemas outside France a year after it was first released and focuses on prejudices against immigrants as well as on the power of words when used. The movie shows that it is possible to learn from one another if we only would open our eyes and ears and open ourselves to something and someone new
May I introduce you to Neïla Salah (Camélia Jordana)? She has just enrolled in the most prestigious law school in Paris, the Panthéon-Assas University in hopes to become a lawyer one day. She travels every day from the Paris suburbs where she lives with her mother and grandmother to the city to study so that one day she can leave the banlieue.
Unfortunately, she arrives late to her very first course held by Professor Pierre Mazard (Daniel Auteuil) who humiliates her in front of the class while using racist jokes. Thanks to her classmates, who recorded the incident and uploaded it on social media, the president of the school hears of the incident and gives Mazard an ultimatum. He has to mentor Neïla for the upcoming speech contest and it would be even better if she would win. That way, the world would see that students with an immigrant background are welcome and he could prove that he is worth to be kept on at the university.
Yvan Attal’s movie brings together the French singer Camélia Jordana and the well-known actor Daniel Auteuil who are carry the movie on their shoulders almost by themselves. The on-screen chemistry between those two is truly captivating. As the saying goes, clothes make people, but in this case, the movie shows you that words are even more important. They can make an entirely new person of you.
Mazard preaches “The truth doesn’t matter – it’s about being right.” As long as your argumentation is on point and you are able to convince people of it, it does not matter what you are supporting, people will nod their heads.
This may be true, but it sure does make Mazard a very lonely person whose only companion on a cold Paris night is a bottle of alcohol. Meanwhile, Neïla has to face the negative side of her new eloquence which starts to make her an outsider while spending time with her friends.
“When you only use complicated words for a while, you forget to say things the easy way.”
As much as I enjoy blockbuster movies like many others, I enjoy independent movies just as much. When you see that a handful of capable actors are able to carry a story with just their performance and words.
This French version of Dead Poet Society picks up the hot topic of immigration, and mixes it up with the typical French dry humour. This also takes the opportunity to not miss teaching the audience about the importance of acceptance and “The Art of Being Right: 38 Ways to Win an Argument” by Arthur Schopenhauer, of which you can take a closer look on Wikipedia.
