On the Literary Razor's Edge

It's even finished in the sound treatment of an off-camera voice that immediately imposes its immediacy.

This rhetorical, malevolent voice, inflated with as much self-importance and manipulation as possible, is obviously Matsnef, constantly whispering in his victim's (and the viewer's) ear that, in the name of love, he is despicable. Behavior of the writer.

A passionate voice, characterized by the tenderness and tact of the snake, through which director Vanessa Filho (Angel face with Marion Cotillard), succeeds in giving the stalker a quasi-corporeal “presence” that leaves its indelible imprint on the victim's psyche, becoming a woman, but no less ghostly, her structure for decades even as the man disappears.

The film is in the running for the 2024 César for Best Adaptation; This cup is totally worth it.

Consent Young Kim Higelin (granddaughter of singer Jack Higelin) stars as this literary-obsessed, naive, “intellectually mature” girl who dreams of “big love” at the height of her readings. Jean-Paul Rouve in the role of literary hunter.

A wonderful roove! We are not used to seeing him move beyond the bounds of comedy; He believes so much here that it gets cold.

Inside Kim Higkel ConsentBy Vanessa Filho. (Julie Tranoy)

Literature and reality intersect

The staging sets up a constant back and forth between literature and reality.

As literature, a melting pot of idealized romances, fiction is passionate and imaginative relationships. And reality is brilliant: an unattractive object with a disappointing dullness. But wounds are not just words: they always mean flesh.

The device takes its origin in the dual meaning of the phrase “reading a book changes the course of a life” uttered by Matsnef during a social dinner. It continues as subtly as possible until the final scene.

Matzneff, an avowed libertarian, exuded singular honesty and obscenity in his books. His publications – mostly autobiographical, he admitted – revealed the most salacious details of his antics with very (very!) young people.

Taking advantage of the writer's preference for the private and public spheres to intertwine, the director introduces himself to the space where reality and literature meet. With the difference that her story sparkles with flavor and wit (as well as a sharp sense of ellipsis, need we emphasize that?).

The film also charts the complicit silence of the Parisian literary world in the mid-1980s, within which the celebrated author seems to rule. Matzneff's pedophile instincts are notorious, but everyone wants to look elsewhere, content to express their embarrassment or disagreement with a funny outburst or a literary joke.

This cowardly or mischievous attitude extends to Vanessa's mother (played by Letitia Costa), caught between protective support and laissez-faire. This ambiguous role is completely strange, as the film departs from reality and responds to purely dramatic imperatives.

When it's not exploring Barbara's talent—her childhood stolen by a married father—the musical participates in this play around the literary imagination, especially Don Juan Mozart's, this Valmont (protagonist) serves as an echo of Matsneff's seductive speech. Dangerous connections) low (and pre-seasonal) site.

Consent Presented in the cinema.

In credits

• Code : 8/10
• Title: Consent
• Genre: Drama
• Realization: Vanessa Filho
• Cast: Kim Higuelin, Jean-Paul Rouve, Letitia Costa, Elodie Bouchess
• Duration: 1 hour 58 minutes