202. Between Two Worlds (Ouistreham); movie review

 

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS (OUISTREHAM)

Cert 12A

107 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language

We are comfortable. Semi-detached suburban which no longer has a mortgage. Retired from jobs which paid pretty well and in good health although we never take that for granted.

But this was not our upbringing. My grandmother was the kindest person I have ever known but she could not read or write and my grandparents' rented two-up, two-down home had strategically placed buckets for the rain which came through holes in the roof.

Thus, I had empathy with the hard-working people represented in Emmanuel Carrère's quiet but effective Between Two Worlds.

Set in the French port of Caen, this is an adaptation of the bestseller The Night Cleaner by Florence Aubenas.

She went undercover in a city where she knew nobody and attempted to find work with no special skills or qualifications.

She became one of the hordes of jobseekers and eventually managed to find some hours as one of the team who cleaned a cross-Channel ferry.

Her story is replicated by the brilliant Juliette Binoche whose character, Marianne, is initially portrayed as a woman who is trying to escape a split marriage. However, it soon becomes clear that is subterfuge.

She is actually an author preparing a book and this is completely unknown to the people she meets and befriends.

Among them is Chrystèle, a struggling mother-of-three, played with great zest and conviction by Hélène Lambert.

Chrystèle is first seen haranguing the officials in the employment office for leaving her with no money to feed her kids.

She believes the world is against her but her barriers are broken down by the friendship shown by what she sees as kindly Marianne.

Léa Carne is added to the mix - a young woman who is in desperate need of money and proper guidance.

But most of the participants in Between Two Worlds are non-professional actors, gathered by the film's makers to add authenticity. 

They certainly achieve this because Between Two Worlds is a slow but searing reflection on life for those who literally clean up our crap.

These are the folk who are unseen but break their backs mopping up after us and bringing a sheen to a new day.

In this case, they prepare a ferry for its next intake of passengers but they could also have been working in hotels, offices, pubs, supermarkets or anywhere that most of us take cleanliness for granted.

We give tips to serving staff who we can see but who leaves a quid or two for those who have ensured we sit on a clean toilet seat?

I need to give thought how I can rectify that in my life - such was the impact of Carrère's film.

Reasons to watch: Insight into poverty in France

Reasons to avoid: Arguably not gritty enough

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? French and European ferry crew unions have been calling for a minimum pay and conditions deal for Channel workers in the wake of P&O’s sacking of 800 staff and their replacement with low paid crew. Some are allegedly being paid under £2 an hour.  P&O is able to do this by employing new workers from areas such as India on agency contracts out of Cyprus – where some of its ferries are registered – avoiding paying the £9.50 UK minimum wage. 

The final word. Juliette Binoche: "When my Polish grandmother came to France during the Second World War she had to do odd jobs like housecleaning in order to survive. When my mother was a student she also did some occasional jobs. And it was the same for me when I was a student. So in a way it was part of my family history for a long time - and it’s still part of me. It’s about being resourceful and getting by.” Eye For Film

Share this post