“A solid effort from a director who seems to be finally finding her voice as a storyteller.”

We all yearn to run away from our humdrum lives and embrace a more free-spirited existence, detached from the routine that always seems to be demanded of us. However, it’s not always practical to lead such a life, and it remains nothing more than a fantasy for most. This is the point that Valérie Donzelli uses as the inspiration for At Work, in which she adapts the novel À pied d’œuvre by Franck Courtès (a semi-autobiographical text), and tells the story of Paul, a reserved young photographer who has grown weary of being just a cog in a machine used to make others richer, and decides to pursue his dream of being primarily a writer. When this turns out not to be as fruitful as he imagined, he refuses to return to the same way of life as before, and instead attempts to find a means to survive through smaller jobs. What initially starts as a way for him to pay the bills eventually teaches him much more about life, particularly in the people he meets and the experiences he has, each one revealing more about society than any book could have ever taught him. A very simple film with some bold ideas, told in a way that is not always all that exciting but nonetheless reliable, At Work is a solid effort from a director who seems to be finally finding her voice as a storyteller, this being her strongest effort to date.

How do you define success? At Work proposes that it can be understood through a number of different variables – for a writer, is the simple act of being published considered a sign of success, or do they have to receive both critical acclaim and adoration from the audience?  Nothing destroys the soul of art more than the continued search for financial gain, but unfortunately, the structure of contemporary society means that the ability to lead a life that is entirely based around creative pursuits is unlikely. This story revolves around the cost of pursuing art in a society that simply does not value creativity as a legitimate skill, which has been the source of a lot of anxiety for those who are inclined towards such fields. There is some degree of autofiction in this film, since not only is it ostensibly based on the experiences of Courtès, but it also draws inspiration from many other works that revolve around the challenges of pursuing art as not only a pastime, but a way of life. The lived experiences of many artists blur with their work, which is something that this film investigates quite closely, underlining the perpetual struggle between persistence in the belief that a breakthrough is imminent, and the sudden realisation that it all may be futile, and that there is a higher chance of complete obscurity than of radical success, something that everyone in creative fields grapples with on occasion.

At Work is proof that having a more rigid, clear style of storytelling can be extremely beneficial for a filmmaker who has sometimes struggled to establish a core vision. Working closely from the original novel, Donzelli is able to make an effective film that is built on some simple ideas, pieced together under the principle of “radical minimalism”, the act of eliminating everything but the bare minimum in order to embody a more principled, restrained way of life. This applies to both the protagonist’s own personal philosophy and the form the film takes as a straightforward, unfurnished examination of a writer caught in an awkward phase in both his personal and professional life. There are no grand events, with the focus being kept on the slow unravelling of the protagonist’s life, consisting of small moments that paint a vivid portrait of his day-to-day routine, whether it depicts his efforts to find meaning in the banality, or mere attempts to survive. Bastien Bouillon delivers a stellar performance, focusing on an understated, complex understanding of someone who may seem aloof, but who reflects deeper qualities to which we can all relate in some way. This contributes to the overarching tone, embodying a sense of quiet dignity rather than melodrama – and the refusal to resort to obvious sentimentality is admirable.

Expectations for such a film are probably going to be muted – Donzelli does not have a track record that inspires too much enthusiasm, and some of her previous films are frustrating in both scope and style. Yet, At Work feels like a genuine step in the right direction, a film that takes a simple and elegant approach to a subject to which we can all relate in some way, finding the truth beneath the surface of things we tend to take for granted. It’s primarily a philosophical work more than one driven by its narrative – Donzelli uses Courtès’ text to question what it means to lead a successful life, distinguishing between feeling artistically fulfilled and being financially stable. Reflecting some core principles of cinéma vérité, through the restrained camera work, measured pace and quiet atmosphere, At Work demands some patience as it gradually and methodically paints a complex portrait of a man caught in a state of isolation as he pursues what he hopes will be a richer, more fulfilling life. It does have moments that seem meandering, and it doesn’t dive as deep into the subject matter as we may expect, but the film makes some intriguing observations, particularly in its questioning of whether passion is enough to sustain an artist in a society that has proven hostile to those who prioritise creative pursuits over a more traditional way of life.