French comedy gives voice to the excluded.
Jacqueline, the character mentioned in the title of the French comedy "The Incredible Journey of Jacqueline," is a cow and the central figure in the film; she is also a kind of catalyst that sets the plot in motion, and her owner, Fatah (Fatsah Bouyahmed), a resident of a small village in Algeria, has always dreamed of participating in an agricultural fair in France, but his application has never been accepted. The (albeit rudimentary) technology in a village lost in the middle of nowhere is also noteworthy. Another theme present in the film is globalization, following the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo weekly – so much so that in one scene the protagonist says: "We are all Charlie"; that is, the director's interest in raising the morale of Arab immigrants.
SÃO PAULO (Reuters) - Jacqueline, the character mentioned in the title of the French comedy "The Incredible Journey of Jacqueline," is a cow, and the central figure in the film. She is also a kind of catalyst that sets the plot in motion, and her owner, Fatah (Fatsah Bouyahmed), a resident of a small village in Algeria, has always dreamed of participating in an agricultural fair in France, but his application has never been accepted.
Finally, after year after year of persistence, he is accepted, and with no other means of transport, he walks from his home in the village of Bolayoune to the French capital. Director Mohamed Hamidi – who co-wrote the screenplay with Alain-Michel Blanc and Fatsah himself – doesn't hesitate to use any imaginable cliché, but still manages to make a delicate and entertaining film about this improbable journey.
The film is a fable starring a hero who would be picaresque were it not for his inherent roguishness – he is naive and, as such, gets involved in the most absurd situations imaginable. From his time at immigration in Marseille – after crossing the sea on a ferry – to political protests, in which he participates without having any idea exactly what they are.
Much of the film relies on the character's charisma and naiveté. Thanks to the actor's good work, Fatah isn't an irritating fool. In one of the film's best moments, the protagonist ends up drunk at a karaoke bar and is kissed by a magician's assistant. Photos are taken and sent to the email address of his village radio host, causing a commotion and embarrassing his wife (Hajar Masdouki) and daughters.
His path also crosses with that of his brother-in-law, Hassan (Jamel Debbouze), who is married to a French woman and, ashamed of his origins, has not returned to Algeria for years, in addition to hiding this marriage from his family; and with Philippe (Lambert Wilson), a nobleman on the verge of financial ruin who will shelter the protagonist and his cow in his country house.
The world that Hamidi portrays is full of paradoxes. Technology (albeit rudimentary) exists in a village lost in the middle of nowhere; the cow, which is Fatah's great passion, is cared for in an almost artisanal way, while the other animals presented in the Agriculture Hall belong to large farmers who employ the most advanced technology.
This world is also one of globalization, following the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo weekly – so much so that in one scene the protagonist says: "We are all Charlie." In this sense, the director reveals an interest in raising the morale of Arab immigrants, telling a story of victory and overcoming adversity, as well as presenting a positive view of foreigners who are so often vilified in contemporary cinema.
(By Alysson Oliveira, from Cineweb)
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