Alliance Française French Film Festival – A Man In a Hurry

Betraying the seriousness of its storyline, A Man In a Hurry is a surprisingly amusing take on physical rehabilitation, thanks to stage theatre and screen star Fabrice Luchini who uses language to pitch-perfect comedic effect—specifically drawing on the verlan slang and its backwards pronunciation of words.

Based on a memoir by the former head of Peugeot, Christian Strieff, the film serves as a wakeup call for those of us enslaved in the unwavering arduousness of contemporary existence. What happens when your life suddenly flashes before your eyes?

Alain (Fabrice Luchini, Courted, AF FFF2016; Cycling with Molière, AF FFF2014) is a high-profile businessman who has let his personal life lapse in favour of corporate success. When he suffers a major stroke and wakes up in a hospital room, he finds himself stripped back to zero. With the help of speech therapist Jeanne (Leïla Bekhti, All Three of Us, AF FFF2016), he rebuilds his life and the relationship he shares with his daughter.

Expect an entertaining blend of deadpan pathos and dry Gallic wit, which will hit high notes for those audience members familiar with the nuances of the French language, as well as those still in the throes of learning.