By bringing Sylvain Tesson’s novel to the screen On the dark pathsFilmmaker Denis Imbert paints a moving portrait of a man in reconstruction and offers Jean Dujardin one of the finest roles of his career.
Pierre (Jean Dujardin), a well-known explorer and writer, travels the world and tells of his adventures in travelogues that sell like hotcakes in bookstores. But one evening, during a promotional tour, Pierre falls down several floors while climbing the facade of his hotel after having one too many drinks.
Waking up from a deep coma, Pierre promises to cross France on foot, taking only small, unmarked paths over a distance of 1300 km. Although he has not yet fully recovered from his injuries (physical and mental), Pierre hopes to use this perilous journey to reflect on his past and the meaning of life.
indoor success
Denis Imbert made a bold bet by adapting for the cinema Sylvain Tesson’s autobiographical book, which tells the author’s inner quest through rural France. However, the filmmaker has clearly touched a sensitive nerve with this introspective story set in remote and unknown regions of France, as more than a million viewers traveled to France last spring to see his film in cinemas.
In order to be as faithful as possible to the nature described by Sylvain Tesson in his book, Imbert insisted on shooting his film along the same routes traveled by the travel writer, particularly the Mercantour mountains and the Roya valley. The result is spectacular. It’s hard not to marvel at the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes traveled by the film’s hero.
Denis Imbert was also lucky when he offered Jean Dujardin to play the main character of his feature film. The 51-year-old actor, best known for his roles in ‘The Artist’ and ‘Brice de Nice’, gives a performance of great maturity, portraying with accuracy and sobriety this broken man confronting his demons.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Sur les chemins noirs, a drama by Denis Imbert with Jean Dujardin, Joséphine Japy and Jonathan Zaccai. Will be shown on Friday.