Tralala

“Whatever you do, don’t be yourself”, is the message given by a mysterious young woman to a street musician played by Mathieu Amalric. In this idiosyncratic musical, by French comedy directors Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu, this life lesson comes across as a religious revelation: carrying just his guitar, the modern troubadour sets off for Lourdes in search of the mysterious woman, who may just be the contemporary answer to the miraculous appearances of the Virgin Mary.

In the Catholic place of pilgrimage, the musician meets a colourful collection of people who help him shed his old identity. He is seen as a man who left long ago, and taken in by this family as their prodigal son. Accompanied by playful, sultry, and emotional musical segments ranging from meandering rock to melancholy disco, this drily comic musical takes in a whole range of people drifting through life.

See also Big Talk: Mathieu Amalric