Nightshift (2001)
"Trois huit" (original title)

Director:

Philippe Le Guay

Writers:

Olivier Dazat, Régis Franc,

Stars:

Gérald Laroche, Marc Barbé, Luce Mouchel

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gérald Laroche	...	Pierre
Marc Barbé	...	Fred
Luce Mouchel	...	Carole
Bastien Le Roy	...	Victor
Bernard Ballet	...	Franck
Alexandre Carrière	...	Danny
Michel Cassagne	...	Alain
Philippe Frécon	...	Yvon
Sabri Lahmer	...	Farid
Jean-François Lapalus	...	Mickey
Marie Verdi	...	Pierre's mother
Annie Collin	...	Carine
Vincent Joannelle	...	Jordan
Yann Chapillon	...	Cédric
Nicolas Antin	...	Victor's friend

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

bully | workplace

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

14 March 2001 (France)

Also Known As:

Nightshift

Filming Locations:

Chalon-sur-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canal+, France 3 Cinéma, Les Productions Lazennec

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Sirprisingly powerful workplace drama

Philippe Le Guay's Night Shift/Trois Huit isn't an easy sell - workplace bullying in a French bottling factory - but it's a surprisingly powerful film, not least because of an astonishing performance by Marc Barbé as the would-be Alpha Male on the night shift who takes on Gérald Laroche's slightly fey nice guy, who seems living proof of Lenny Bruce's old line about liberals being able to understand everything except people who hate them. What's particularly intriguing is the hot-and-cold nature of their relationship: one minute Barbé is marking his territory to exclude him, the next opening up to him and desperate to be included, leaving the impression that his actions are not so much calculated (even when he's winning over Laroche's son after publicly humiliating the father) as an impulsive reflection of Barbé's confused mixture of envy and anger. But it's precisely because you don't know which way he's going to turn that he's such a memorably screwed-up villain.

His victim's reactions aren't so easy to peg either, his desire to just get along often fuelling the problem as much as his refusal to return violence with violence (at least to his tormentor) or to take matters up with management gives his tormentor carte blanche to continue to undermine him. Both offer very flawed versions of masculinity - the new man versus the cool cro-Magnon - in a satisfying drama that leaves you wondering some time after its over. It's just a pity that casting directors haven't made good use of Barbé's talents since.