neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Time Out
	Laurent Cantet Aurelien Recoing, Karin Viard, Serge Livrozet 2001		Director Laurent Cantet's debut film, "Human Resources," showed his aptitude for conveying the arcane, brutal and frequently addled politics of the workplace. For his second picture, Cantet turned things up a notch. "Time Out" ("L'Emploi du Temps") is a depressing but insightful study of a French businessman caught in a tangle of deceit and self-delusion. Vincent (Aurelien Recoing) is a loving husband and father. He has always provided for his family, although his job frequently required him to travel. When we meet him, he's on the road, seemingly headed for an important sales meeting. In fact, he's unemployed. His wife, children and parents are unaware of his predicament. Phoning home, he speaks of resigning his current position to accept a promising job offer. Actually, he's desperate, scrambling for money and falsifying a new career for himself to save face. Although his circumstances are mundane, Vincent's descent is given tragic heft by its destructive effect on his loved ones.