It's well made from a technical standpoint, and in regards to all those facets contributed from behind the scenes that are often taken for granted. Be that as it may, there are two aspects of importance to this film. The first is the acting. Everyone in the cast gives a strong, highly admirable performance of earnest range, nuance, physicality, personality, and emotional depth, and the acting is unquestionably the highlight of the feature. Denis Podalydès, Sonia Amori, Yann Ebonge, Sarah Douali, and Khalid Berkouz all stand out among others - though by far, certainly Isabelle Adjani is the real star, and proves her skill once again. It's no wonder she won yet another César award for her portrayal of beleaguered teacher Sonia Bergerac; if her turn here is any lesser in comparison to her acting elsewhere, it's only because 'Possession,' for example, was a truly once in a lifetime tour de force. Though I've yet to personally see everything Adjani has been in, I can't wait to explore more of her oeuvre, and if I have the chance I'd love to see more from her co-stars, too. More than anything else, the value of 'La journée de la jupe' is in the strength of the ensemble, and it's worth watching just for them.
However, I did say there are two aspects of importance here. The second is the script. The premise is simple: a teacher, pushed to the absolute limit by a classroom she can't control, finds herself in possession of a handgun and events rapidly spiral out. I deeply appreciate what writer and director Jean-Paul Lilienfeld tried to weave into his screenplay; the feature plays with crucial big ideas worth dissecting. The problem is that there are too many big ideas for this one picture, and the narrative gets bogged down as a result. Herein are we treated to notions of racism, misogyny, violence against women, toxic masculinity, posturing, sexual assault, victim-blaming, religious persecution, hypocrisy, feminism, misinterpretation of stated ideals or proposals (deliberate or otherwise), gun violence and gun control, bureaucracy, public education, accountability, law enforcement and crisis management, immigration, latent tensions within communities, scapegoating - and much, much more. All these are topics worthy of examination and discussion. All these are topics ripe for utilization in storytelling. That this movie wants to say something about all of them is overwhelming, both for the viewer and for the movie; like a school student whose class presentation struggles with all the thoughts they want to mention surrounding a single subject (we've all been there), the result is that none of these topics are given the treatment they deserve, and 'La journée de la jupe' feels unfocused and a little floundering as a result.
As one last unfortunate impression to be left on us, the final scene is simply heavy-handed to the point of being a tad gawky rather than meaningful.
It's not a bad film. It's a good film, in fact. Lilienfeld's direction is solid, the effects and stunts are well done, and the production design is great. I like the music, even if it feels a smidgen ill-fitting in the last stretch. Everything looks and sounds good, and once more, the chief reason to watch is by far the tremendous acting. It's just regrettable that Lilienfeld's reach exceeded his grasp when it came to the writing. I can only commend the ambition and intent, and for what it's worth the characterizations are a treasure trove, but I think the screenplay and the realization thereof would have benefited if some of the many concepts broached herein were dropped so as to tighten and center the story. True, perhaps that unwieldy assemblage is appropriate in some off-kilter way, just as Sonia finds herself in an unmanageable situation with too many points that could be raised. That the character's dilemma sort of becomes the feature's, well, there's the rub. I think 'La journée de la jupe' is worth watching if one comes across it, overwhelmingly for the cast alone, and specifically but not exclusively Adjani. If you're looking for a precise, thoughtful drama of social issues, however - or even just a good, well-rounded movie generally - I'm just not sure that this is going to be the title to satisfy.
