FULL TIME/ A PLEIN TEMPS

France, 2021, 88 minutes, Colour.

Laure Calamy,  Anne Suarez, Genevieve Mnich, .

Directed by. Eric Gravel.

Thank goodness that Full Time ran for only 88 minutes. This is meant as a compliment, not as a put down. For the first 60 minutes and more, the pace is frantic. And, not only are some of the characters exhausted, but so many of us, sitting comfortably in our cinema seats as well.

This is a story of a week in Julie’s life (Laura Calamy). She is a working mother, two small children, up early in the morning, breakfast, taking them to the elderly lady who will care for them during the day, getting the train into Paris, getting to work, head of the staff at a three-star hotel, non-stop work in cleaning the rooms, assessing the work of the others, clocking out and then getting the train home.

As if this is not hard in itself, the situation in Paris is a strike. So, clogged freeways with cars, trains running spasmodically, not going to their destinations, the need to change to buses, passengers deposited and having to run to work. And, as the week goes by, the strike situation gets worse. And so does the anxiety of the old lady looking after the children, a daughter urging her not to do this work, putting more pressure on Julie as to who should look after the children.

The way that the film works, and which makes it so exhausting (technically very effective), is that for the main part, each shot is very brief, the editing fast-paced, a lot of tracking camera work, especially as passengers look at the passing suburbs, buildings, life in Paris, and there is an insistently relentless score beat which emphasises how frantic Julie can become – and how frantic we are as we identify with her.

And, there are complications at work, especially as Julie has the opportunity to go for an interview for a new job – and the lack of taxis to get to the interview, her persuading the concierge to get her a ride, difficulties with getting time off, no permissions, getting the work done during lunch break, persuading the newcomer to clock out for her, with disastrous results.

And that is the first hour!

With relief, there is a bit of restraint over the weekend, although it is the little boy’s birthday, Julie has hired a van to bring home a trampoline as a gift, setting it up, the party, her being exhausted. And the issue of the nanny and whether she can continue.

Laura Calamy is very effective and believable as Julie. So is her boss, the other maids.

Just when all seems doomed…

1. The title, Julie, her life, full-time work, full-time motherhood, stresses?
2. The French setting, the city of Paris, hotels and interiors, business offices, the streets, the experience of a strike, cars on roads, trains and buses, absence of transport, crowds? Audiences empathising with the experience of strikes and the difficulties in travel and time?
3. 88 minutes, the pace of the film, the takes being generally very short, editing and pace, the relentless beta the musical score, the tracking camera and its energy and life? Exhausting for Julie – but rather exhausting even for the patron sitting in the cinema seats!
4. A week in Julie’s life, getting to work, difficulties because of the strike, the work in the hotel, the pressures, interactions, her planning the job interview, the difficulties with the boss? The children, up early, breakfast, taking them to the lady looking after them, the phone calls, the pressures? Getting to work, crowded trains, transfer to buses, getting lifts, the friendly lift from Leo’s father, growing exasperation, the high cost of the taxi for the interview, having to stay overnight at the hotel? Interviews with the boss, her finally being locked out?
5. The change of pace for the weekend, picked up by her friend, getting the children, going home, the little boy’s birthday party, hiring the van to bring the trampoline, setting it up, the children, Leo’s father helping with the trampoline, cleaning up? The boy falling out of the trampoline, the visit to the hospital? The long sleep? And all the time phoning her former husband, asking for the alimony, the pressure on the mortgage, withdrawing money from the bank, checks not accepted? Is not turning up for his son’s party, the phone call, out of the country, promises?
6. The continued pace of the first hour of the film, sharing Julie’s getting up early, breakfast, the children to the nanny, trying to get to work, running, arriving late, checking in, the detail of the work, the maids, the expectations of the high paying guests, the excrement on the wall and cleaning it, the timetable, visitors coming early, making the beds, cleaning, the attention to detail? The bond between the women, the hostile woman and not helping Julie, Lydia and her having to train her, using her to get to the interview, returning and finding that Lydia had been sacked? The threats to Julie?
7. Her past work, the years of motherhood, the interview, promoting herself, being called back, the difficulty in getting the taxi? The sympathetic interviewer, the promise of the phone call, it’s not coming, Julie ringing?
8. Julie being sacked, returning home, the discussions with the nanny and her daughter’s threats about official complaints? The willingness of the old lady?
9. The children, wanting to go to the theme park, taking them, on the rides, their being happy? Julia, the phone call, and the relief getting the job?
10. Fast-paced drama, forcing the audience to share Julie’s life, pressures, her exasperation is, wondering about some of her tactics, the consequences? And the final affirmation for her future?