The Light

Since the release of "l'EQUIPIER" ,Lioret has become one of the most promising directors in France with two important works " Je Vais Bien Ne T'En Fais Pas " and " welcome";quite rightly so.

"L' Equipier" displays originality,sensitiveness and (yes!) humor (Je Préfère les PHARES,says the new kid in village ,En Mangeant son FAR =i like lighthouses best,says the hero,while eating his far;in French "Phare " (lighthouse) and Far (a famous Breton pastry)are homonyms).

The rapport the grumpy Torreton and the all smile Dérangère have between them is extraordinary ;this kind of rapport was already present in "Tombés Du Ciel" and would make the marvelous "welcome" even more worthwhile.

Lioret takes advantage of the splendid Breton landscapes and of his lighthouse in the storm ("lighthouses in the sea are hell" says the seasoned keeper) The action takes place in 1963 thus one year after the Evian agreement ;the newcomer was a paratrooper whose left hand was injured (we"ll understand why at the end of the story,and it is all the more disturbing since we find him nice and gentle).Brittany ,probably for historic reasons,did not seem to like aliens at the time ;it's also probable some of their sons were killed in that dirty war and his coming reminds them of what they lost.

"l'Equipier" IS one of those rare recent movies which has got something of the old cinema,particularly that of Jean Grémillon.

Sandrine Bonnaire is somewhat eclipsed by the two male principals but she brings the melodrama touch,the icing on the cake.

During the ball,the music seems more Irish than Breton:variations on "star of the county down" and " the water is wide".