What if after the planetary triumph of French-style genre cinema, recently embodied and partly by Julia Ducourneau, French directors became the bosses of indie space opera? What? Are we not allowed to dream? With L’Astronaute, in theaters this week, Nicolas Giraud, an intense actor spotted at David Oelhoffen, pulls off a nice tour de force. His space odyssey, carried out with more than limited means, teems with ideas. It convinces and overwhelms. It also symbolizes the surprising vitality of another French cinema. At a time when the industry is more than ever under fire from critics, accused of formatting, lack of audacity and in the hands of a CNC mocked for its ability to always finance the same clumsy comedies, Didier Bourdon atmosphere takes a plate in the line of the buttocks (in reference to Alibi.com 2 by Philippe Lacheau), the very existence of this slightly crazy film is reassuring proof that there is still room for maneuver for creative risk-taking .See also on KonbiniWe have classified (almost objectively) all the films of La Bande à Fifi, from the worst to the worstA UFO among French productionsBut it wasn’t all easy to get there. Fundraising and production were a long way of the cross for Nicolas Giraud. After more than two years writing the film, in collaboration with Stéphane Cabel, he came up against doubts, refusals and even mockery from the milieu. His salvation, he first owes it to his meeting with Christophe Rossignon. Respected producer, at the helm of one of the surprise successes of recent years, Au nom de la terre and its more than two million admissions, he agrees to meet Nicolas Giraud to present his project to him. Immediately, the magic happens. “Without bad puns, the planets were aligned. The very moment I walk into his office, I see Tintin’s rocket, I see photos of Jean-François Clervoy, I see the poster for The Right Stuff and I realize that I am going to present my film to a space enthusiast. “Hearing Nicolas Giraud tell him the story of his character, Jim Desforges, this aerospace employee who failed the astronaut competition years ago, but who hangs on at all costs costs his dream to go up there in the stars. This visionary who secretly builds his own rocket in his barn, Christophe Rossignon is under the spell and decides to embark on the adventure. He then introduces him to the former astronaut Jean-François Clervoy and the NASA veteran becomes the film’s technical advisor. Together, the trio even manages to convince Ariane Groupe to join the project. A dedicated site with parts loaned for the film, technologies and interviews with specialists: the aerospace company is rolling out the red carpet for Nicolas Giraud and his teams. The dream becomes reality. A declaration of love to the cinema Once these perilous preparations have been completed, an even more imposing challenge stands before this team of madmen: filming. On the casting side, to ensure good visibility, Nicolas Giraud was able to convince Mathieu Kassovitz. With Hélène Vincent, Bruno Lochet and Hippolyte Girardot, he surrounds himself with seductive supporting roles. Inhabited as much by Nicolas Giraud’s project as by Jim’s space dream, they all play their part wonderfully. A space film is also a story of soundscape. Gabriel Legeleux alias Superpoze, ensures a work of goldsmith. Slick sound design, heady musical layers, the electronic music composer pulls out all the stops to bewitch us. The film is ambitious because Nicolas Giraud makes it a point of honor to produce a realistic film. It’s out of the question to make a joke or a little thing that stutters. To get the viewer on board, you have to dare. And when you can’t afford the Hollywood machine, you have to know how to use tricks. “I had the Steven Spielberg of his debut in the back of my mind. When filming Jaws, he realized that the mechanical shark was not working as much as he had hoped. So he decided to show it as little as possible, only at the end. All the rest of the time, he suggests his threat, he trusts the intelligence of the public.”To hear Nicolas Giraud speak, there is a love of cinema that overflows everywhere and we understand that L’Astronaute is also a way to give back the emotions he has received since, as a child, he crossed the door of dark rooms. First there is the Rocky shock, the story of a guy who clings to his dreams and who does everything to triumph, well, well. Then there is this fascination for space films: 2001, A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick, Interstellar by Christopher Nolan, a director he admires for his almost childish love of cinema and Sunshine by Danny Boyle, who is less well known. and yet the one he prefers. The most touching, finally, is the mise en abyme that takes place between the quest of Jim Desforges and that of Nicolas Giraud. Construction of Jim Desforges’ rocket is Nicolas Giraud’s film in the making. Successes, doubts, they share everything. This is also why Nicolas Giraud is behind and in front of the camera. He had to embody his point. “My attraction for space, the cosmos, is also a thirst for infinity, for the absolute.” With L’Astronaute, the director makes his profession of faith. There is something spiritual in this film, the idea that you have to believe in your childhood dreams and hang on to them to reach the moon. It’s simple, it’s touching, it makes our child’s soul vibrate. Isn’t that really cinema?
