Continental, un film sans fusil

The puzzling disappearance of a man who wakes up on a quiet road in an empty bus and walks into the woods doesn’t lead to a major search, but primarily forms the starting point for a tranquil, tragicomic study of human loneliness in which the lives of those left behind – his wife and three other independent characters – briefly touch or mirror each other.
In his feature debut – as is suggested by the subtitle of his film – Stéphane Lafleur doesn’t really choose for action. At least not for visible action, because the protagonists all undergo a minor rite of passage, one by one. A young insurance agent who tries to sell life insurance from a hotel without much success, a hotel receptionist wanting to find the right man and a former gambling addict trying to make up with his old lover – in anonymous Canadian surroundings all of them are looking for company and cheer, but their attempts to find it largely seem in vain.
With compassion and patience, the director sketches their attempts to take control of their lives. It is primarily monotony and lack of prospects that form the backdrop. However, slowly but surely, minor events open new perspectives. (EH)

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