LES PASSAGERS DE LA NUIT (THE PASSENGERS OF THE NIGHT): The charm of temporariness

Movie Review by Sergio Martinez

From the title, Les passagers de la nuit (The Passengers of the Night), there is a certain poetic atmosphere in this film directed by Mikhaël Hers. The fact that it is set in the 1980s in Paris also adds a hint of nostalgia reinforced by the beauty of the images (excellent cinematography by Sébastien Buchmann). The images capture very well both the urban environment in which the characters move - the XV borough of the French capital, known as Beaugrenelle, with buildings erected mainly in the 1970s - and the intimacy of their lives.

Elisabeth Davies (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is alone with her two children, the older one in college and the younger in high school after her husband has left her. She must now face a situation for which she was unprepared, or so she thought. Her first task will be to find a job.

The older child, Judith (Megan Northam), is a fervent student activist, and her political involvement leaves her little time to do anything else. For the mother, it will be the companionship of her son, Mathias, which will be relatively closer. This, although the young guy is more interested in writing poetry than in the subjects of his courses.

In the meantime, Talulah (Noée Abita) is an 18-year-old girl who has no fixed abode and is addicted to drugs. She has appeared in Paris and seems lost in the city.

Elisabeth (Charlotte Gainsbourg) is hired by radio host Vanda 
(Emmanuel Béart) to work the switchboard during her night show

Elisabeth's efforts to find a job pay off when she is hired as a telephone operator for an all-night radio program, "Les Passagers de la nuit", which combines calls from lonely night owls with music. The program is hosted by Vanda Dorval (Emmanuel Béart), who takes a liking to Elisabeth. Still, it warns her that the pay is not much. Eventually, Elisabeth finds another part-time job in a library to increase her income.

Talulah is one of the interviewees on one of the evening programs, and when Elisabeth leaves the radio station, she finds her sitting on a park bench. The young woman has nowhere to go, and eventually, the woman invites her to stay at her house for a few days.

The paths of Elisabeth, her family and that ofTalulah (Noée Abita)
will criss cross again 4 years later

Talulah's and Elisabeth's lives, especially Mathias', become intertwined when they meet again four years later. Judith no longer lives with her mother, and Mathias works as a janitor in a gymnasium. For her part, Elisabeth, although with reluctance and doubts, will try to restart her sentimental life.

Les passagers de la nuit is interesting as a proposal of the fluidity and temporality of our existences, emphasising the importance of living each of those moments because we know that they will only last for a while. And that is precisely its value.

It is a film that we recommend for its poetic sense, the beauty of its images and how from simple premises, the director and screenwriters conclude by delivering a moment of charm and nostalgia.

Screened in the original French version and with English subtitles.

Running time: 1 h 51 min.