Unlike with the protagonist of Montparnasse Bienvenüe, Ari’s detachment is a little painful. The third feature by Léonor Serraille follows a man in his late 20s who can’t quite get a grasp on life. Living in Lille, he has dropped out of teacher training and ended a romantic relationship. Tired of living with his adult son, Ari’s father asks him to move out.
The themes of incompleteness and experimentation run through the film in more ways than just through the sad-eyed protagonist. The narration is in part based on improvisation, which manifests as documentary-like leniency. The sensitive hand-held cinematography adds to the sense of immediacy.
Ari is a companion piece to Montparnasse Bienvenüe, although Serraille deals with the themes of detachment more discreetly. However, the lightness of the narration is not of the light-hearted kind. Even though the protagonist may be fired up by conversations with his old acquaintances, there is a silent despair to his aimlessness. The hypnotic lead actor Andaric Manet is like melancholy on two feet.
Ari unwillingly defies the norms. Through his friends, he tries to discover the secret of living, but upon meeting them he realizes that none of them have found it either. Still, Serraille can’t help but give us a glimpse of a chance at happiness.
Kaisu Tervonen