Karim Leklou and Sara Giraudeau form an irresistible couple

Three years ago, I read a wonderful novel which was successful in France, Pierric Bailly’s “Le Roman de Jim” (Jim’s novel). It was brilliantly written, the emotions were subtle and real and the hero, a normal guy from the Jura, was extraordinarily moving. It has now become a movie shot by Arnaud and Jean Marie Larrieu, two brothers who already have a reputation. It was shown in Cannes lat may and it came out on Bailly’s 42 nd birthday, August 14. I really liked it. It is slow to start like the book, and little by little the character of Aymeric gets to you. It ends with the apotheosis of Sara Giraudeau‘s performance. You remember she was this mesmerizing actress in the series “Le Bureau”.

Karim Leklou and Jim (Eol Personne)

The film takes place between Lyon and Saint Claude, a small town of the Jura. Aymeric meets Florence (played by the sexy Laetitia Dosch), a former colleague of his. She is 6 months pregnant and the father who is married disappears. He moves in with her and raises Jim, the child, like his own. When Jim is 7, the biological father reappears. And drama follows. The story is fascinating because every character is normal. Aymeric works free lance in different supermarkets and has no ambition. His girlfriend Florence works in a hospital. They move to a simple farm in the mountain and Aymeric enjoys parenthood immensely. Jim as a little boy is an extraordinary actor. I liked him less as an adult.

Laetitia Dosch, the mother, with Eol Personne, Jim at 7, Bertrand Belin and Karim Leklou, the two fathers

The scenery is beautiful but the social background is pretty miserable. A scene is shot in Lyon at the festival of Electro music, and as Aymeric’s sister is a disc jockey, there are a lot of dancing scenes. His companion at the end, Sara Giraudeau is also passionate about dancing. She is irresistible mixing her father’s charm (Bernard Giraudeau) and her mother’s (Anny Duperey) happy character.

The main actor Karim Leklou is a revelation. The son of an Algerian and a Bretonne, he had received a César for his part in the excellent BAC Nord, but I did not remember him. He walks in an odd way, can be really ugly, is alway akward, but becomes handsome when he smiles. I liked less Bertrand Belin, who plays the biological father, and has the nasty part. Funnily he is also a music composer and a performer like Jim who will end up living near his childhood house and become a band leader.

The novel was published by P.O.L in 2021 and is now in paperback at Folio

There is a mix of modernity and youth in this story which focuses on illegitimate children  -a very old theme- and how the two fathers can cooperate or not in their education. Le roman de Jim is out in all cinemas.