My Best Part

"My Best Part" (French title: "Garcon Chiffon") is a French comedy-drama, first released for the Cannes Film Festival in 2020 but having a limited release in the US on February 25th 2022. It will also be available on a range of streaming platforms including Amazon and Apple .

Jérémie is a gay Parisien actor consumed with jealousy. Depressed and mistrustful of everyone and everything, his love-life and work-life are in freefall as a result. After the suicide of his father, a memorial service is planned. Perhaps a visit to his mother in their family home in the countryside can reset his mental state?

At the time of writing the movie was not yet rated. If I was rating this for the BBFC it would be a 15 in the UK and an R in the US, due to full-frontal male nudity and themes of suicide.

Positives:

• I never found this less than engrossing. As a study of mental decline, I was never quite sure what the struggling and impassioned Jérémie might do next. His 'everlasting' love for veterinarian Albert (Arnaud Valois) seems genuine and heartfelt, but that doesn't stop him flirting with the Adonis that is his mum's handyman Kévin (Théo Christine).

• Within all the dramatic angst are dropped moments of extreme farce;
• - Jérémie attends a meeting of 'Jealousy Anonymous' where the participants declare "It's been xx days since I wised up"!

• - The dotty grandmother (Florence Giorgetti) jokingly accuses her grandson of groping her... mistaking him for his dead father!

• - And after Jérémie's father has blown his head off with a shotgun, the honour guard fires four shotguns into the air, making Bernadette and Jérémie both wince!

• Nicolas Maury, familiar to British viewers from "Call My Agent!", delivers a gripping performance as the soulful actor. Also impressive, in a memorable cameo, is Laure Calamy as Sylvie, a neurotic and dementedly hyperactive film director. Terrifying!

• The quirky music score by Olivier Marguerit is very appealing.

• For pet lovers, the movie features the cutest puppy ever. We would already have a winner if Oscars were given for "Best Animal"!

Negatives:

• This would make a fabulous 90 minute movie. At 108 minutes, it feels like it overstays its welcome a tad. This was Nicholas Maury directorial feature debut and the movie needed some harsher decisions in the editing room.

• I suspect the enigmatic ending might frustrate a lot of people (although I rather liked it).

Summary Thoughts on "My Best Part": Some arthouse French films tend to leave me cold. But this one is suitably quirky and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Both intelligent and moving, its black humour maintains interest throughout. Recommended. This deserves to get a UK cinema release, through a chain such as Picturehouse. (@picturehouses).

(For the full graphical review, please check out #onemannsmovies on the web. Thanks.)