THE STORY – During the Olympic Games, an unexpected bond forms between a hearing-impaired American and a free-spirited wanderer in the vibrant streets of Paris.
THE CAST – Agathe Rousselle, Alex Lawther, Suzy Bemba & Jonas Bachan
THE TEAM – Laurent Slama (Director/Writer) & Thomas Keumurian (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 77 Minutes
If you fell in love with Agathe Rousselle’s sensational performance in Julia Ducournau’s body horror “Titane,” get ready for another good reason why Rousselle should be leading more films. She commands the screen in Laurent Slama’s feature debut, “A Second Life,” an understated gem that explores character development through unexpected everyday connections. With an intriguing protagonist, an immersive one-day setting, and some thoughtful explorations of mental health, “A Second Life” tells a relatively simple story with great care and a distinctive personality.
Working for a concierge company in Paris, Elisabeth (Rousselle) is tasked with meeting tourists and showing them to their rental apartments for the Olympic Games. The job has her running around all day while also coordinating last-minute meetings, fielding calls from her boss, and dealing with clients, one of whom cannot be bothered to look up from his phone as she describes rental amenities to him. While very clearly unhappy, Elisabeth needs this job to extend her visa and stay in France. She finds moments of peace by looking at art, particularly Monet’s “Water Lilies,” which evokes pure serenity. Occasionally, she also disconnects her hearing aid to pause the world and sit in silence. For these moments of stillness, the film employs effective sound design to immerse the viewer in Elisabeth’s perspective and capture how she perceives.
Elisabeth’s depression leads to frequent anxiety and uncertainty in her day job. She must cater to every tourist’s mood to maintain client satisfaction and app ratings. At a time of internal conflict, she meets a young traveler, Elijah (Alex Lawther), whose free-spirited and easygoing energy slowly helps brighten her future outlook. When she shows him to his rental apartment and finds out it’s been double booked; she arranges an upgrade at a new location. Elisabeth insists on sending him the address and meeting him there, but he refuses, as he wants to walk in Paris with the locals. This leads to an engaging, quick-paced conversation that establishes a compelling connection in a very brief timeframe. By paying close attention to how Elisabeth reacts to him, the film sets up a thoughtful exploration of her personal growth and how she begins to develop a different perspective on her future.
The characters have an intriguing dynamic as Elisabeth finds Elijah distracting at first; her annoyance towards his eagerness and friendliness is palpable. Through intense close-ups and stressed body language, you could feel the frustration bubbling underneath. With a compact script (co-written by Slama and Thomas Keumurian) and a single-day timeline, the film wastes no time providing some neat insights into Elisabeth’s character. Deep down, much of her frustration stems from watching how easily Elijah can quickly form connections with strangers, as she doesn’t have the mental space to make friends. By letting her character development and interactions guide the story, the film smartly explores the subject of mental health. The more she discovers about him — including that he specializes in hypnosis and that he’s in Paris to do mental preparation with some Olympic athletes — the more she’s able to connect with herself on a deeper level and, in turn, connect differently with her surroundings.
The film builds onto Elisabeth and Elijah’s connection in the second half with two impactful sensory sequences. Each sequence involves a moment of scary vulnerability for both of them individually. Rousselle and Lawther, who share endearing chemistry throughout, get incredibly vivid moments to shine. The cinematography and sound design also capture isolating environments and palpable moments of fear. The performances and immersive settings anchor “A Second Life” more than any other aspect. Rousselle, in particular, gets an opportunity to showcase more of her range following the intensity of “Titane” and immediately hooks you into her character’s state of mind. Her screen presence continues to invite a yearning to see her lead more films.
Unfortunately, the strong pacing and narrative intrigue begin to dwindle after these sequences. The story loses focus and rushes into a potential fling between Elisabeth and one of Elijah’s friends (Suzy Bemba), which deserves more fleshed-out writing and a detailed perspective. Additionally, there can be shortcomings to stories set in such a compact timeframe. While the film certainly does not overstay its welcome, it leaves you wanting more, especially as Elisabeth starts making meaningful connections with people. Despite such shortcomings, “A Second Life” finds quiet strength in observational storytelling, emphasizing the weight of small everyday interactions. It’s a warm-hearted gem that serves as a reminder of how impactful one encounter can be and how sharing experiences of mental health can build supportive relationships.
