Movie Releases. "The Answering Machine": A Clever Comedy That Reveals Salif Cissé
Entrusting your phone to an imitator who takes your voice is the basic principle of The Answering Machine , in theaters this Wednesday .
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When you read the synopsis of The Answering Machine , you might think it's a run-of-the-mill comedy. It follows Baptiste Mendy (Salif Cissé), a talented imitator who has to work a series of odd jobs to make ends meet. One day, he's approached by Pierre Chozène (Denis Podalydès), a famous novelist who can't write his new novel, constantly bothered by incessant calls from his loved ones. Pierre then suggests that Baptiste become his "answering machine" by pretending to be him on the phone. But soon, Baptiste will have to imitate more than just Pierre's voice...
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Because The Answerer turns out to be a clever comedy on more than one level. First, there is the confrontation between two men from different social backgrounds. Playing in a register similar to that of En fanfare , their differences serve above all to forge links between them, notably on the numerous cultural references running through the film. This avoids false jokes that serve as value judgments, which gives a refreshing tone.
The other major theme is that of truth. The film explores all the difficulties of slipping into someone else's shoes and keeping up the charade, even (and especially) when one has the best intentions in the world. Here again, The Answerer plays with narrative figures of deception to offer resolutions far removed from the usual clichés.
The Answerer could have been Grand Guignol, but it's delicate and charming. Like Salif Cissé, the film's great discovery. His character, while engagingly good-natured, also shows the amount of work put in by the imitators to get closer to the original voice. No fewer than three imitators worked on the film (Fabian Le Castel, Eklips, and Michaël Gregorio ), while the imitation of Denis Podalydès' voice on screen is the result of a delicate editing process between his voice and that of Salif Cissé. It just goes to show that lying is hard work!
Fabienne Godet's The Answering Machine , in theaters this Wednesday, June 4. Running time: 1 hour 42 minutes.
Le Progres
