Marius and Jeannette

Robert Guédiguian's 1997 film is set in the Estaque district of Marseille. Jeannette raises two children alone on a supermarket checkout wage; she is angry and trusts nobody. Marius is a watchman at a closed cement works and lives on the site. Their meeting turns into a story that takes in everyone sharing the courtyard around them. The film neither pities nor exalts working-class life; people argue, support each other, discuss politics and look after each other's children. Guédiguian works in the district where he grew up, with the same actors every time; Ariane Ascaride won a César for this role and the film was an unexpected commercial success in France. It screened at Cannes in Un Certain Regard. Who it's for: viewers who like French social cinema and stories built on a neighbourhood. Who it's not for: anyone wanting plot and pace; the film stays inside ordinary life.