Rating: NR | Runtime: 100 minutes
Release Date: February 18th, 2009 (France) / September 16th, 2009 (USA)
Studio: Wild Bunch Distribution / The Cinema Guild
Director(s): Claire Denis
Writer(s): Claire Denis & Jean-Pol Fargeau

We revolt simply because we can no longer breathe.

There are no clean breaks. Life is simultaneously messy and wonderful as we grow older each day, striving for that little bit of excitement and longing to continue on. We all have dreams and aspirations, but they often fall into the background as life takes over to push us in another direction with no chance to take a breath and say, “No.” There’s always love keeping us going, though, whether from a significant other or a child or a friend. Sometimes that love can be someone unable to reciprocate too—no matter how close you are.

The living move on while the dead are put to rest. Relationships evolve or devolve depending on fate, fact, or age. Claire Denis understands these simple truths and encapsulates them within the magnificent gem that is 35 Shots of Rum to show us four Parisians living in disharmony for what seems their entire lives. For some reason, however, the period of time displayed here explodes in a powder keg of emotion and progression that finally allows each to take stock of themself and move towards the future they’ve kept in front of them for too long.

Lionel, his daughter Joséphine, her surrogate mother Gabrielle, and her childhood friend Noé come together one final time—a reunion that hasn’t occurred in forever. Each is at a crossroads wondering about their next step, carefully watching the others for some sign or clue of what to do. Lionel sees his friend retire from their job running the trains/subway and the loneliness and fear of the unknown that results. Seeing his own mortality, he begins to worry about his daughter spending so much time taking care of him. He hopes and tries to let her know that he will be okay.

Jo is in school, studying hard and working a part time job at a record store. She’s the woman of the house upon return, cherishing the routine that’s served their duo well for so many years. Gaby is entrenched with her taxicab and loving the adventure it creates with new customers while longing for something big—and pining for Lionel to one day notice her as she does him. And Noé is a successful young man constantly traveling for business who retains his parents’ old apartment and belongings rather than leave to make his own mark. Jo asks him why he stays and his smile reveals that it’s her. She’s the only attachment he’s allowed himself to keep in his heart.

All four characters go through the weeks on-screen by crisscrossing one another and pretending everything is all right when nothing is. They’re all living in the past and dreaming their dreams but doing nothing to help them come true. It’s the oldest story in the book—something each of us deals with at some point in our lives. There’s always the easy answer keeping us from achieving the big prize out there for the taking if only we were bold enough to reach out and grab it.

Their reunion as a ‘family’ eventually reaches its climax with an attempt to see a concert in the city. Car trouble ensues, Noé sees another man court his Jo, and the foursome find themselves looking each other in the eyes and taking the plunge (for better or for worse) at a bar past closing time. There’s dancing, kissing, love, and heartbreak. And when all is said and done, decisions are made that risk shaking the equilibrium they’ve become accustomed to.

Their lives are forever changed by this night as a wrench is thrown into the middle of them to accelerate choices and allow them to look back and say goodbye to the past. Maybe that means the death of a family pet or maybe it’s visiting the grave of a deceased family member. In order to move forward, one must acquiesce with what’s been left behind.

I love how the film was shot up-close and personal. We see the quivering faces during times of sadness and the jubilance of happiness as the camera frames each actor so they can do their thing. Many shots linger on hands or feet too. We see menial activities such as cooking dinner, taking showers, or smoking on the balcony while awaiting the return of a loved one. It’s these little details that draw you into the bigger picture on display. By watching them partake in everyday minutiae, we’re able to project ourselves into the film by relating to their emotion and remembering the last time we felt the same.

This quartet of actors fully embody their roles to bring each to vibrant life. They are everyday folk that we work with, pass in the street, and share beers with at the pub. Nicole Dogue’s Gaby shows her ceaseless sense of joy and love towards Jo as though her own daughter. No matter what Lionel does to hurt her feelings, she keeps a smile on her face and looks towards a new day. Grégoire Colin’s Noé has that deer-in-the-headlights stare, contemplating his next move and hoping Jo will finally look at him the way he does her. Unable to ask her to go with him due to her father being alone, all he can do is wait for fate to intervene. And Mati Diop’s Jo is a great mix of strength and weakness. She gives so much of herself to those around her that she never discovers a way to live for only her.

But the real story here pertains to Alex Dascas’s Lionel. This man is stoic perfection, always finding himself watching and listening on the fringes. A man of few words, he’s also one of many emotions who knows far more than he lets on of what’s happening around him. Denis has crafted him as the one they all look towards for guidance, but his seeing his friend’s inability to carry on after retirement reveals to himself that he never realized how far they’d all come without ever really going anywhere.

No single day has stood out to him as one to remember above the others. He has trapped himself away from the world for too long. Life eventually starts moving forward without him, pushing his own necessity for progression quicker than he might want. But Lionel is an adapter who’s able to look at the future and smile with hope. All we can do—whether stuck in a rut or in over our heads—is hope for that once-in-a-lifetime day that forces us to put caution to the wind and drink up thirty-five shots of rum in one sitting. That’s the day we strive for and hope to see before life gets too far ahead of us.

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Alex Descas and Mati Diop in 35 SHOTS OF RUM.