In the Courtyard

Pierre Salvadori's slight film benefits from strong performances by stars Catherine Deneuve and Gustave Kervern as two lost souls helping one another. Kervern plays Antoine, a depressed, burnt-out musician who abandons his band mid-performance and, following a series of menial jobs, is hired as the custodian at an aging Paris apartment building by Mathilde (Deneuve), a recently retired resident—despite her exasperated husband's concerns about Antoine's distracted manner. Antoine develops odd relationships with a couple locals—a former pro soccer player who now runs a stolen-bicycle racket, and a homeless cult proselytizer he lets crash in the building along with his dog—which naturally catches the eye of the building's resident scrooge. But his closest connection is with Mathilde, who has not only persuaded herself that a crack in the wall of her flat is a prelude to the building's collapse, but also tries to educate the entire neighborhood about the potential danger. Their developing friendship takes some relatively serious turns—such as an impromptu visit to Mathilde's childhood home, where she berates the current owners over new renovations—that indicate her declining grip on reality. Overall, however, In the Courtyard is content to meander genially, observing the lives of Mathilde, Antoine, and satellite figures with an air of gentle regret. Recommended, overall. (F. Swietek)