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Time Out (2002)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:82
Fresh:79
Rotten:3
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: A haunting psychological drama, Time Out takes a penetrating look at the angst of the modern worker.
Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: Vincent (Aurelien Recoing) spends a lot of time in his car. He sleeps in his car sometimes, parked in highway truck stops where buses full of school children pass through during the daytime, and at... Vincent (Aurelien Recoing) spends a lot of time in his car. He sleeps in his car sometimes, parked in highway truck stops where buses full of school children pass through during the daytime, and at night stragglers lost en route stop to drink and tell their stories. Having been fired from his job over a month ago, he is a man running from the truth. Unable to admit his unemployed status to his family, he goes to great lengths to convince his wife and three young children that he spends busy days hard at work. He makes phone calls home talking of meetings and appointments, then returns home complaining of fatigue from being overworked. In fact, he drives around a lot, meanders in and out of office buildings, picks up pieces of information and pages through vague research that does not seem to be part of any cohesive goal or plan. The menacing part of it all is that the closer we get to Vincent, the more he seems to convince himself, and us, that he's telling the truth. And the resulting psychological trickery is positively creepy. This French mystery from director Laurent Cantet (HUMAN RESOURCES) carries an eerie chill that seems inexplicable. While the story seems simple enough, Vincent's lies and the way that he manipulates people--especially his family--are expertly conveyed with cold, steady camerawork and a beguiling performance from Recoing. [More]
Starring: Aurelien Recoing, Karin Viard, Serge Livrozet, Jean-Pierre Mangeot
Starring: Aurelien Recoing, Karin Viard, Serge Livrozet, Jean-Pierre Mangeot, Nicolas Kalsch
Director: Laurent Cantet
Director: Laurent Cantet
Screenwriter: Robin Campillo, Laurent Cantet
Producer: Caroline Benjo
Composer: Jocelyn Pook
Studio: ThinkFilm
Reviews for Time Out
Reaches an extreme pitch and gets into Vincent's head simply by studying his face.
Though Cantet's clinical direction and the unsettling Jocelyn Pook score make Time Out a rather alienating experience, the lanky Recoing brings a wealth of humanity and pathos to his tragically mediocre hero.
Laurent Cantet's sophomore film, a brilliant character study of the impact of unemployment on one ordinary man's life and personality, places him at the forefront of a new generation of exciting Gallic directors.
Cantet takes his time, letting us become almost comfortable in Vincent's presence, then shocking us with the audacity of his lies.
Time Out ... manage[s] to remain compelling for all of its austerity and simplicity, acknowledging a strong performance by Recoing ...
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