Doctor?: The syndrome of the impostor ***

Michel Blanc, who plays Serge Mamou Mani, and Hakim Jemili, in the skin of Malek, are the main interpreters of <em>Doctor?</em>

July 1, 2020

Updated July 3, 2020 at 4h01

Doctor?: The syndrome of the impostor ***

Eric Moreault

The Sun

CRITICAL / It does tell no story. The presence of Michel Blanc in the credits at the Doctor? gives instant credibility to the bitter-sweet comedy of Tristan Séguéla. The huge actor delivers a performance worthy of his talent, but the comedian Hakim Jemili does not have to be ashamed of his, on the contrary. Result is a pure entertainment bliss that makes you laugh and think a little. It is already more than what was expected.

The interpreter embodies Serge Mamou Mani, a doctor who works on-call, night, in Paris. On the evening of Christmas, he is the only doctor on duty and drinks. Bad idea : a threat of cancellation hangs over this doctor disillusioned and cynical. With a back injury, he suffers martyrdom and is unable to see his patients. But his path will cross that of the candid Malek, a delivery person (Hakim Jemili). It hiring to usurp his identity, and the guide to distance him murmuring directions through a headset…

The premise asks a little credulity. In an interview, the director said that it was fantastic. But we believe in it. Because there is Michel Blanc (Monsieur Hire, Grosse fatigue). It creeps into the skin of this doctor tortured gently. Under the facade, the viewer senses her empathy and her vocation (almost intact).

It will find an ideal vehicle in Malek. The duo of shock, that all objects (age, race, profession, and character), will obviously know more frictions then begin the visits. Each of them wants to be a pretext to sketch the humor good-natured. Until they have to respond to an emergency in a near by Serge…

It is rather well seen to initiate a change of course. The event partially lifts the veil on the mal de vivre of Serge and allows Malek to gain insurance. And, of course, allows the two men to go beyond their preconceived ideas and to bind — the trajectory is predictable.

Doctor? skillfully blends the road movie in Paris, and the buddy movie duo offsuit. While addressing, on the surface, but all the same, the themes of filiation, transmission, prejudice, racism, etc, Without forgetting the criticism of the supposed economy of sharing.

The denunciation of theubérisation of the economy reached obviously not the same virulence as that of Ken Loach in Sorry you have missed — Malek is rather proud to be “autoentrepreneur”. But the reality is going to open to him eyes on his operation. The message goes more smoothly, but it passes anyway.

We were talking about the transmission a little over the top, it can also perform a reading with the two interpreters to the work. Michel Blanc, to a huge career as an actor (over a hundred films), a writer and producer, who works in concert with a comedian for his first film role. However, Michel White or not, Hakim Jemili plays to wonder what good guy is a little naive and well-intentioned, who sets foot in the dishes (with Pierre Richard).

In Short, Doctor? a lot of fun. It comes out almost cured of the vicissitudes of day-to-day…

This criticism was published in The Sun a day before that the cinemas are closing their doors because of the COVID-19. We are republishing to accompany the “real” output of the Doctor? in the dining room.