CANNES 2021: La Traviata. My Brothers & I ‘Mes frères et moi’
CANNES 2021 Yohan Manca's Mes frères et moi is a compelling and poignant character driven drama. Eccentric, loveable, and undeniably effective in its thematic power, Manca's latest feature is a powerful and entertaining blast that showcases society's blemishes in a romp of affection.
First and foremost, what are undeniably the two strongest highlights – of many – in Manca's feature are the exceptional performances and the screenplay. The two go hand in hand as a tremendous strength. The former showcases outrageously compelling pieces of range, with the four brothers undergoing a potent and striking mixture of grief and stoic internalisation. Maël Rouin Berrandou as Nour essentially leads this piece through a child far beyond his years, ideally weighing the thematics and power of this story in the viewer's eyes. His performance alone is a wrecking ball of emotion. Unable, in one moment, to understand the difficulties of his life and brothers situation, only to emotionally age in an instance when he becomes truly aware of how rough things are getting.
Each performance of the respective brothers adds a weight and palette to proceedings. Comedic nature and poignancy are brought forward wonderfully. Sofian Khammes' Mo is a perfect example of a nuanced and layered character. Manca gives the performance just enough depth in the screenplay along with Hédi Tillette de Clermont-Tonnerre – as for all characters – but said performers do a magical job of elevating with quips and unique flair to craft distinctive portraits.
Equally as compelling is the skill of filmmaking: it is nothing short of superb. Marco Graziaplena does an outstanding job of crafting a visceral atmosphere with emotion floating in the air. The viewer will feel the burn of the sun, the dimly lit lights of the family's flat, so on and so forth. The camera work does a fabulous job to echo the thoughts and feelings of this circumstance that is slowly but surely defining this family’s life. Clémence Diard does a fantastic job of orchestrating a thrilling vision with a swift and easily digestible edit. Nevertheless, Diard with Graziaplena effortlessly slows the film down, in which Manca can flow emotional harmony and depth through character in moments where the film manages to breathe. This allows the film to settle for only a few minutes to deliver gut punches.
Yohan Manca's Mes frères et moi is a fantastic dramatic romp. Incorporating outstanding performances, wonderful flair and comedic nature in its nuances and immersive screenplay, all in all, crafts a superb cinematic effort that any audience will have a pleasure to watch.
