From Christophe Barratier, the director of Les Choristes (The Chorus), comes an equally charming musical comedy about a group of local performers who stop at nothing to keep the magic of theatre alive. Set in a quaint outer suburb of Paris against the historical backdrop of the French Popular Front, Faubourg 36 follows a small community's passion for the Chansonia, their beloved theatre.
It is 1936. Léon Blum is in power, the Socialist Party is active, workers are striking and the weight of the Great Depression is beginning to be felt. When the owner of the local theatre falls behind on a debt, proprietorship passes to the local mob boss. For Pigoil (Gérard Jugnot), a stagehand, this is bad news. His wife has just left him, taking their adorable son Jojo (Maxence Perrin), so when the gangster closes the failing theatre, Pigoil finds himself alone and unemployed.
Depressed and running out of money, Pigoil and his friends Milou (Clovis Cornillac), a proud idealist, and Jacky (Kad Merad), a flawed comedian, decide to stand up to the mobster, occupy the theatre and return it to its glory days. But their lineup of amateur cabaret and half-baked comedy looks decidedly lackluster until Douce (Nora Arnezeder), a beautiful young girl from the city, walks into the auditions. Cast as the singing “announcer,” Douce instantly charms the town with her beguiling looks and angelic voice. The Chansonia soon becomes famous all over Paris, but with love triangles, ongoing political tensions, the strain of the Depression and the mob boss's constant swindling, life isn't easy.
Barratier has crafted a delightful musical comedy in Faubourg 36, which features a charming ensemble cast, exemplary production values and some spectacular musical numbers. Arnezeder is like a chanteuse from a bygone era, and young Perrin steals scenes delightfully. A treat for the eyes as well as the ears, Faubourg 36 is a heartwarming reminder of the power of community and the romance of the stage.
Michèle Maheux
Christophe Barratier trained as a classical guitarist at l'École Normale Supérieure de Musique in Paris. He produced the feature documentaries Microcosmos (96) and Le Peuple migrateur (Winged Migration) (02) and the feature film Caravan (99) and directed the feature films Les Choristes (04) and Faubourg 36 (08).