Elle est des Nôtres (She’s One of Us)

One of the strangest films I have seen lately, as is not an easy movie to watch because the way the camera moves, the repetitive sounds/music and the long takes that suddenly change. That’s it until the screen goes unexpectedly black and the filming (and the story) changes to more normal camera angles, normal music and normal takes. There is a second time that the screen goes black and the story changes again.

Still with all these movie techniques, the movie keeps you wondering what’s coming next, not necessarily in the story, but in the way the do the story.

Is the first feature by Siegrid Alnoy and well, is quite different to most ordinary movies, at times is unpleasant (but you keep watching) and with a story that I have a hard time to place in a genre. To be honest I was so taken by the way the movie is done, that until I read about the movie I really got the story. Tell you this only to give you an idea of how unusual this movie is done. But it is not bad, actually is crazy brilliant!!!

Well the story is about Christine Blanc and her name says everything about her personality. Christine is outstandingly performed by Sasha Andres. For those that read French, here is the summary of the plot with mild spoilers:

"Christine Blanc, secrétaire intérimaire, est une trentenaire d'une grande sensibilité que le sens du devoir rend particulièrement consciencieuse dans tout ce qu'elle entreprend. Sa vie est si vide que Christine invente (surtout pour les autres car elle n'est pas dupe de ses propres mensonges) toute une série de fausses informations sur sa vie privée. Pour ressembler à tout le monde.

La jeune femme se lie cependant d'amitié avec Patricia à qui elle va vouer une grande admiration. Patricia, mariée et mère de famille, ne met pourtant pas sa relation avec Christine sur le même plan que cette dernière. La jeune femme, se sentant trahie, se réfugie dans sa solitude...

Inquiète de ne plus avoir de nouvelles, Patricia la sort de sa torpeur pour l'emmener dans une piscine des environs. La malheureuse ne se doute pas des conséquences tragiques de sa démarche amicale... "

The movie has one the most disturbing crime scenes I have ever seen and you will not see violence or blood, is all about the sounds!!!

According to the director the movie is a strong critique to the work place in large cities and yes, I think it is about that… but, as you noticed, I was really taken by everything except the story!!

So, if you feel like seeing what I call the craziest brilliant and unusual movie, give it a try. You definitively have to like French art cinema to see this movie.

One last thing to share, the title of the movie refers to a song people sing when someone drinks his/her first drink and becomes “one of us”. There’s a scene where something alike happens.