AKA the anti-View From The Top.
The excellent Adèle Exarchopoulos stars here as Cassandre, a flight attendant who has some big decisions to make when she reaches the end of her contract with her airline employer. Her next move is to do the training that will take her to management level, but that will make her job more of an actual job, as opposed to the fun, hazy, flight from one party to the next that she has been enjoying for some time.
The obvious irony here, from my point of view, is that the central character has problems in her life because she actually does care. Her time of not caring is ended, outwith her control, and that forces her to re-evaluate her life, which allows viewers to see what she has been determined to not think about for as long as possible.
Co-directed and co-written by Emmanuele Marre and Julie Lecoustre, with some additional assistance from Mariette Désert, Zero Fucks Given expertly walks a line in showing a character trying to pretend that they don’t have a care in the world without having them become so irritating that they are unpleasant company to be stuck with for the duration of the film. Marre has the bigger filmography, although I am unfamiliar with their work, but this is a feature that should easily stand out as a highlight in anyone’s body of work, which means I will look forward to whatever comes next from those involved.
While there is a smattering of supporting characters, Cassandre is front and centre for almost every scene, and Exarchopoulos is perfect in that role. She is easy to like, easy to root for, and the script ensures that she actually does show empathy and a willingness to do the right thing, even while also trying to just enjoy some carefree time before life puts a stranglehold on her. Everyone does good work here, but Exarchopoulos owns the movie, cementing herself as another favourite of mine I will enjoy watching in anything.
Although showing the specific work issues that are associated with a career in air travel, this also works as a look at almost any working environment. When you are young enough to want that work-life balance leaving you more playtime, but still aiming to do your job to the best of your ability, employers often don’t leave room for mistakes (be they mistakes of youth or mistakes stemming from not doing things exactly by the book). People need that room, they need to make mistakes, and they need to be allowed to have fun before tying themselves to a rigid career path. It is unusual for anyone to know exactly what they want to do as soon as they leave formal education. Hell, I am in my forties and STILL unsure about what I do. Most of us do care though, and there’s constant pressure coming from so many different directions. Those who actually tend to give zero fucks are the companies, for the most part, especially those with many more potential job applicants than vacancies, assuring them a constant supply of ready replacements for people they don’t view as being committed enough.
8/10
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