Jumbo

Zoé Wittock has not chosen the easy way for her first feature film. A movie about a cleaning lady falling in love with an amusement park attraction: it sounds like a bad joke. But in fact, Wittock takes it quite seriously. The film is appealing because of the way she tells the story: the love affair is not shown in a problematic or laughable way. It's just a little bit different and out of the ordinary, that's all. The other good thing about this film is the lead actress. Noémie Merlant is excellent as the shy girl Jeanne, who is happier in the company of a colourful machine than when she is spending time with other humans. Those who have seen her as the painter in 'Portrait d'une jeune fille en feu' will admire her versatility even more. The strange relationship between woman and machine is shown in some very good scenes, one of which, suggesting even sexual emotions, really stands out for its creativity. The flip side is that, apart from the subject matter and the lead actress, there is not so much special about the film. The other characters are not well developed, the story is rather thin, and the ending feels a bit contrived. This is a nice little movie, with a healthy dose of weirdness. But one unusual idea is not enough to carry a whole film.