neumu [ cinematronic ]




	The Town Is Quiet
	Robert Guédiguian Ariane Ascaride, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Gérard Meylan 2000		As Los Angeles is to Robert Altman's "Short Cuts," Marseilles is to the knockout French movie "The Town Is Quiet." Marseilles, the vibrant port town on France's Mediterranean coast, is both setting and character in filmmaker Robert Guédiguian's disquieting peep into the exploits of a handful of hard-luckers besieged by unemployment, poverty, racism and substance abuse. At the center of the drama is Michele (Ariane Ascaride), who puts in long hours by night, slingin' cod at the fish market in order to support her drunk-and-cruel alky husband, her hooked-and-hooking junkie daughter and her infant grandchild. Michele's only salvation appears to be a sympathetic bar owner with shady connections. Meanwhile, jobless Paul (Jean-Pierre Darroussin) hopes to impress his parents by finding success as a taxi driver; a young North African man tries to stay out of trouble and keep the peace among his peers; and a plot against a local political figure comes to light. The elements coalesce, with unexpected results.