On March 9, distributor A-One releases a new comedy Louis Garrel's "By the Rules and Without" in theaters. Posters assure us it's one of the best comedies of 2022. We'd probably agree.

Synopsis

Serious and excessively melancholic Abel Lefranc (Louis Garrel) is hit with shocking news: his flighty mother Sylvie (Anouk Grinberg) is marrying ex-convict robber Michel (Roshdy Zem) right in prison. Michel has clearly left his criminal past behind and is ready to completely change for Sylvie, opening a small flower shop with her.

Abel is already not the simplest person, still grieving the death of his beloved wife, and now his paranoid suspicion of Michel threatens both his mother's family life and his friendship with cheerful and charming colleague Clémence (Noémie Merlant). Will he overcome himself and try to find common ground with his stepfather, or do his fears have a sinister foundation?

Love by the Rules and Without

In his new film (which was planned to be shot much earlier but was postponed for script revisions) Garrel puts relationships at the forefront – friendships, love, family. This story is partially autobiographical for the director – his mother, actress Brigitte Sy, once married a prison inmate. "By the Rules and Without" seems to be his attempt to understand and come to terms with events from his past, analyze them, and even laugh at himself a bit.

And how masterfully Garrel juggles all aspects of a lyrical comedy! Just a few steps separated Abel's character from being an insufferable grump, but instead we get a very real person who acts within his own logic and never violates it.

Much of this balance in the film is achieved thanks to the wonderful cast. Merlant perfectly offsets her glum partner with infectious cheerfulness, and the love of Sylvie and Michel (played by experienced Grinberg and Zem) is shown so sensitively and truthfully that you believe everything at once. After all, it is these unusually formed relationships that become the catalyst for all subsequent events.

A Soviet Comedy in Disguise

During the end credits, already leaving the theater, the author of this article couldn't help but laugh because at some point a melody began to play, written by Andrei Petrov for Georgy Daneliya's film "Autumn Marathon." It was as if a puzzle piece finally clicked into place in my head.

"By the Rules and Without" surprisingly successfully combines elements of light adventure, amusing comedy, and deep (even somewhat tragic) drama. It's precisely these kinds of films that a Russian-speaking viewer associates with the term "Soviet comedy." "The Diamond Arm," "Prisoner of the Caucasus," "Old Men – Robbers," even the same "Autumn Marathon" – all are united by a good-natured and thoughtful atmosphere that is sometimes hard to pinpoint and which is frankly present in Garrel's new creation.

Cinematic and global language has moved far ahead, and I don't claim that such a feeling will overwhelm every viewer. Yes, of course, there are gadgets like collars that allow you to track your pet's location via a smartphone app. There are much more explicit conversations about sex that weren't typical of Soviet times. There are also purely modern aspects of relationships, such as trying to find a partner on Tinder.

But "By the Rules and Without" feels endlessly light and pleasant, creating a sensation in your chest as if you've met an old friend. He's just gotten younger.

To Watch or Not to Watch?

Let me let you in on a little secret – your humble servant is not a big fan of European (particularly French) cinema. And if even she says that the film from distributor A-One is worth it – then it truly deserves your attention. Especially if what I've talked about has even slightly touched the strings of your soul.

P.S. In "By the Rules and Without" there are two scenes that elevate the film to another level. One is the climax, thanks to its intensity and grotesquerie that doesn't cross the line of plausibility. The second is just a very beautiful scene in the Lyon Aquarium, which slightly resembles ours in St. Petersburg.

Joking P.P.S. Was it just me, or does Roshdy Zem look a lot like an aged Stromae?