Exclusive film review: The Workshop (L’Atelier)

A diverse group of French teenagers gather in a languid port town for a summer writing workshop, hosted by a successful Parisian novelist. They could serve as a microcosm for modern France – or even Western Europe. All major communities are there: black, white, Muslim, middle and working class.

By Debbie Stowe

DIRECTOR: Laurent Cantet

STARRING: Marina Foïs, Matthieu Lucci

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Like many teens, they’re passionate and political. Forced to work together to come up with a plot (they’re writing a murder mystery), they frequently clash as issues of identity – particularly religion and racism – cause friction.

Director Laurent Cantet soon telegraphs to the audience an outsider: Antoine (Matthieu Lucci), a white boy from a lower-income background. He’s not a bad kid – we see him affectionately caring for his cousin’s little son and his family life isn’t unhappy. He’s also dedicated enough to the workshop to go home and read the books of group leader Olivia (Marina Foïs).

But his social circle is clearly from the wrong side of the tracks, he’s flirting with low-level criminality, his social media use would ring alarm bells, and some of his contributions in class concern and anger his fellow students for their provocative alt-right tone.

Olivia is intrigued by Antoine. He’s bright and challenging, and while there’s nothing inappropriate in their classroom-based exchanges, the swimming and sunbathing scenes during breaks, in which they come across each other half-dressed, hint at a certain chemistry or mutual fascination between them.

Cantet’s film moves back and forth between the development of the writing project, and the author’s interaction with the troubled teen. It’s a topical movie, with a focus on pressing contemporary themes of identity politics, race, and social justice. While it’s talky and naturalistic – much of the action consists of the debates held by the youngsters, who are played by non-professional actors – the director doesn’t sacrifice the drama, atmosphere or sense of menace.