imperfection is perfection
Sporadic film reviews by a wanna-be filmmaker
AFFF: MY KING (MON ROI) [2015]
Directed by Maïwenn
Written by Etienne Comar (screenplay), Maïwenn (screenplay)
Starring: Vincent Cassel, Emmanuelle Bercot, Louis Garrel
Much like Lolo, I doubt I’d have seen this film if it were American. The French seem to do romance in a way that doesn’t feel forced, sentimental or clichéd, often with witty, quick humour to round things off. There are of course exceptions, but I haven’t seen many, and the only one I could list off the top of head is Brooklyn. A French film with the exact same plot synopsis as an American film will often be a different experience entirely. That was what I was hoping going into this, and happily I was right in my assumption. Mon Roi is a very different romantic comedy, though perhaps not-so-much by French standards.
We begin the film within beautiful snowy mountains where Tony is skiing downhill. The next thing we see is a doctors clinic, with a doctor who has a philosophical opinion on her simple knee injury and why it happened. The injury is severe and will take a long time and a lot of effort to get back onto her feet. While she is rehabilitating, her doctor’s comments trigger a series of memories as she recounts a high-powered relationship and marriage that preceded the accident.
In a move that initially feels jarring, we suddenly switch from the hospital to a nightclub, where we see her with friends and no injury. These transitions however soon fall into a flow of her recounting the relationship while she is recuperating her knee. In the club she catches the eye of Georgio, a man she had met once a long time before. She tries to approach him but he doesn’t remember her. However after Tony leaves the club, she is followed by Georgio, whose charm she can’t resist. This forces her entourage over to his place for an early breakfast. Her brother takes an immediate disliking to him, which Georgio doesn’t seem to notice or care about. Neither does Tony.
It doesn’t take long for them to develop a high-octane relationship, as they seem to fit perfectly, laughing and playfully teasing each other, while the bedroom isn’t the only place they do the dirty. To be honest, at first I thought these scenes of people rehabilitating serious leg injuries was a mirror to the story, as intense feelings of love can also be hard and tough, not to mention filled with obstacles that can make things even tougher. While I am guessing this was the intention, by film’s end you will have a much better idea of why the movie plays out like this.
Soon Georgio falls in love. Next he wants a child with her; his love is that strong. They succeed as Tony gives birth to a beautiful baby, but this wasn’t without problems, as the pregnancy is where the first cracks in the relationship start to show, as Tony starts to worry that the baby will sense the fact that the couple argue. Often. Tony is also prone to mood swings, while Georgio is a mysterious man who is very hard to read. What does become clear though his that their love for each other is what is causing their problems. Even after the birth of their son, they argue what to name him. The relationship becomes increasingly tense, as Tony is having mental problems post-birth, while Georgio is out living whatever life it is that he lives; one we never see. His wife’s problems seem far from his main priority.
But the reality is that they have a child whom they both love and want to raise and nurture. Georgio’s living habits however prompt a very strange living arrangement; the baby at one point skype chats with his father, as if a one-year-old can recognise his father from a pixelated computer image. What he is out doing, we still don’t know. We just know that this is not healthy; this is not a conventional relationship.
The rest of the story unravels in this manner, with the two having a bipolar-like relationship, arguing and crying, screwing and embracing – while always possessing an undying love for each other, not to mention a child together. The images of people rehabilitating throughout the film make increasing sense now; Tony is going through the same problems, only they are psychological. She is trying to rehabilitate a relationship, and that is where the drama really becomes apparent.
There is no perfect romance here, and viewers may very well find themselves watching a very familiar film, as few relationships are perfect. What I enjoyed most was
Vincent Cassel in a role like this – he has a fantastic smile and he certainly displayed a slice of his acting chops that I had not seen before. Emmanuelle Bercot is a name I was not familiar with, but she certainly held her own opposite Cassel; both are brilliant and share excellent chemistry. The utter unpredictability of how their situation would end was another highlight. With such a wild (and violent) life together, we are asked, what will happen? Both to them and their baby? It is not easy to figure out, giving us a final act that reveals some key truths. This final act wasn’t as funny as the rest of the film, but it is powerful and will leave you pondering your own relationships, whether they be past, present or that imaginary perfect match.
One beer short of a sixer
5/6
14 Comments on “AFFF: MY KING (MON ROI) [2015]”
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imperfection is perfection 
I love Vincent Cassel. Sounds like a very interesting film.
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He is really great here, we get to see a different side of his abilities
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A big fan of Vincent Cassel. I am intrigued. I never watch enough French films. Thanks for the highlight and nice review, Jordan.
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Thanks Cindy! 🙂 I really like Cassel too, and its really nice to see him in a role where he is smiling so much! He was fantastic, I highly recommend this one
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Great review 🙂 How much do you want to bet that American audiences only know him from Eastern Promises and little else. Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
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Hehehe probably! I need to see more of him, great actor
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This definitely sounds like an interesting watch. And I’ll admit I’m not overly familiar with Cassel. I need to see more of his work.
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He is a great and versatile actor. He has often played villains so it is nice here to see him smiling and not playing the bad guy so much. He is probably best known for playing ‘Kiril’ in Eastern Promises
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I might actually check this one out. I like Cassel!
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Oh! If you like Cassel then this is a must-watch!
You have never seen him like this, his face really lights up when he is smiling a lot.
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Great review! i saw a trailer for this before Macbeth and it definitely looked very interesting, gonna see it the first chance I have
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Thanks! 🙂 It is a very interesting movie, and subverts the norms as far as romantic flicks go. Plus Cassel is so good!
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Great review man and Cassel is always worth watching.
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Hell yeah man, I’ll watch Cassel in anything. In this he really shows you a different side to his abilities.
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