Director: Bertrand Tavernier
Screenplay: Dominique Sampiero, Tiffany Tavernier & Bertrand Tavernier
Director of Photography: Alain Choquart
Daniel: Philippe Torreton
Valeria: Maria Pitarresi
Samia: Nadia Kaci |
French director Bertrand Tavernier is interested in people who are fighters, who try to change things around them. His many films cover a wide range of genres from crime to comedy/adventure and documentary. Ken Loach, Clint Eastwood and John Ford are three of the filmmakers whose work he respects. Jazz lovers will remember "'Round Midnight" (1986) with its Oscar winning score by Herbie Hancock, whilst others may have seen his more recent comedy adventure "D'Artagnan's Daughter" (1994), certainly not his best film but I loved the idea of a swashbuckling heroine.
Tavernier's latest film "It All Starts Today" is set in an impoverished mining town in the north of France. As a kindergarten teacher in a town with 30% unemployment Daniel, played by Philippe Torreton, finds himself caught between the rules and regulations of the authorities and the very real needs of the children who come to him daily. Their families are battling unemployment, trying desperately to stretch the little money they have. With some families so poor that they are unable to pay the token amount for their children's lunch, there is clearly a need for more than just the three "Rs".
Daniel is passionate about teaching. He feels equally strongly that rules and regulations should be flexible and that people, not the holy dollar (or rather franc) should guide educational and economic policy. Not surprisingly Daniel finds himself on a collision course with bureaucracy.
There is a documentary realism about the film, reinforced by the fact that some of the cast are teachers in real life. The struggles of these dedicated people faced with desperate need on one hand and bureaucratic indifference on the other, is brought vividly to life. The film looks wonderful, the cold wintry landscape of the northern town is tangible. What serves to lighten the film is the energy and exuberance of children. They are enchanting and their performances wonderfully natural.
At the centre is Philippe Torreton in a wonderful performance. Daniel is anything but a saint but you care about him as he leads you on a journey through his life, public and private.
This is a very different film from "My Name Is Joe" which I reviewed a couple of weeks ago, but as with that film there is a passion behind the filmmaking that reaches out to the audience. Tavernier really cares about his characters and his subject.
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