Asphalte

It looks like a Michel Lebrun's novel: AUTOROUTE, which was not adapted on screen, at least as far as I I know, unfortunately, a social thriller in the disaster genre, involving several characters whose paths are supposed - or not - to cross with motorway as settings. Motorway, one of the most notorious element of the modern consumer society, corollary of the car, queen car, whithout which everyone id totally "paralysed". A movie destined to feel anyone among audiences concerned, families leaving for vacations, summer vacations: millions of them. Dozens of millions. Jean-Pierre Marielle was the perfect exemple of the common French man. A movie evoking speed excess, and car crashes that supposes. Yes, a social drama presented as a kind of disaster movie in the great American way, but with a lesser budget of course. In summer, motorways may be the most dangerous place in France because of the millions of people on departure or return. Excellent chracter study where many audiences can recognize themselves.

The first time I had seen this movie, a long long time ago,I did not like it at all;today I would be more indulgent.

I had found Carole Laure pretty bad but ,when I watched again the movie,I realized that actually it's her part which is hopeless:no actress could get away with so pathetic a story:Juliette is to meet her lover in Montelimar ,but she 's stopped by a policeman and she realizes that she's driving her lover's wife's car ;in brief ,her squeeze walked out on her;she is then harassed by "Le Cousu" ,a sexually obsessed half-wit ,and not only once;she's almost run over by a car .A man (Jean Yanne) takes her on board and .....car crash !enough is enough! that Juliette can survive such an ordeal is beyond belief!

Denis Amar wanted to depict the Summer rush ,when everybody leaves for a well-earned holiday:as anyone knows,the road kills and in the hot summer ,accidents claim the lives of too many people ;he gets support from the army's health services,from the road safety administration and from the Red Cross....

.....Which does not prevent the characters from accidents !a Beauf (=typical of the archetypal lower-middle-class Frenchman),played by the always reliable Jean- Pierre Marielle ,wants his car ,even without brakes!!the young mechanic keeps repeating it's dangerous ,the vacationist who doesn't want to lose his rented accommodation cares nothing about ....

Meanwhile ,in the hospital ,surgeons and nurses work miracles,working overtime and trying to save their fellow men's precious lives.

The most moving scene shows a couple of old persons,coming to the scrapyard to open a glove compartment to pick up these foolish things that mean a lot.

Yes ,the mass exodus of people from Paris and other major cities at the beginning of the holiday period ,especially late July/early August is murderous;the problem with Amar's movie is that it deals with cardboard characters, nay unsympathetic ones (with the exception of the barmaid played by Marion Game);the subject had to be broached ,but it is given a "much too much" treatment which mars the good intentions.

NB :Watch out for Christophe Lambert's cameo :he's the doctor who "explains" to the desperate Marielle why they need blood.