In competition Cannes 76 it was presented SourNew film Just Filippo which could be defined as a French disaster film. In fact, starting with the 2018 short film, the director has merged the genre of disaster with family drama, bringing to the screen a gripping thriller that illuminates the effects of climate change in its own way. And this is also extremely relevant after the recent floods in Emilia-Romagna, which have been a test for people and industry.

Plot Sour

Acid rain threatens people across France and Guillaume Canet as a worker, father to a teenage daughter, and separated from his wife, he finds himself the protagonist of a race to the bottom. The apocalyptic scenario immediately resembles the atmosphere of recent success Last of usand certainly in terms of photography and technical system Sour does not disappoint and gets the job done. However, the script has several shortcomings that do not make the story linear, with a somewhat rushed ending that does not reflect the story that the characters involved have experienced up to this point.

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Michal is on probation but would like to start a new life with his partner Karin, who is in the hospital with a serious leg injury. The film opens with smartphone videos of workers rebelling against their employers, including Michal, who is arrested for it and forced to wear an ankle bracelet. When South America raises the alarm about acid rain terrifying the populace, Michal and his ex-wife Eliza reunite to protect their teenage daughter Selma and try to escape France before being caught in a deadly storm.

The cloudy sky is menacing and fuels the film’s tension, just as realistic makeup and rough and violent scenes give the viewer the necessary amount of anxiety for a disaster movie. While the end of the world seems close, Filippo focuses on family ties and the emotional realm that arises from them, especially after the extraordinary conditions that Michael’s family finds itself in.

Cannes 76

Review Sour

Despite the small budget, Sour successfully simulates an environmental disaster, and the effects are believable and choreographed accurately to convey the daily anxieties of a father who is trying to heal his relationship with his daughter in a conflicting scenario full of physical and psychological problems.

Filippo focuses on the rebellion of nature, which avenges human negligence, creating an entertaining film that is somewhat reminiscent of War of the Worlds by Spielberg. The storytelling is hectic, the editing is fast, so the pacing remains dynamic from start to finish, but some of the sour notes are more rooted in the film’s content. Attracting the main audience, Sour perhaps on paper he promises the viewer more, and somewhat disappoints expectations in scientific, political and emotional terms. Still, it’s nice if you count a movie about popcorn, but perhaps not the official competition of a prestigious festival like Cannes.