Juxtaposing laidback, almost documentary-like episodes with highly-charged domestic drama, Laurent Cantet's Human Resources is a blue-collar character study centering on Frank, a business-school graduate who returns to his Norman hometown in France as a management intern in the factory where his father has worked for three decades. Although his parents, who've labored to give their son an education that will take him to a higher socioeconomic realm, idealistically believe that--despite the misgivings of the Marxist union chief--the firm's director sincerely wants to involve the workforce in deliberations about changes in operations, Frank soon realizes that a staff questionnaire he's assigned to complete has a far less benign purpose. Ultimately, the young man must choose between management and labor, an ethical dilemma that brings him into conflict with his father in rather unexpected ways. It's refreshing to see such issues addressed onscreen in so passionate and politically committed a fashion, and the film's authenticity is accentuated by the fact that only Jalil Lespert, as Frank, is a professional actor (the other cast members being ordinary people plucked from unemployment lines). Granted, Human Resources requires patience to appreciate, but it probes more deeply into the lives of working-class people than virtually any other recent film. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Human Resources
Image, 102 min., in French w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.95, Aug. 3 Volume 19, Issue 5
Human Resources
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