Tralala

The 74^th Festival de Cannes is comprised of films whose release was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as films shot while it happened. One of the latter, French production Tralala accomplishes the special feat of acknowledging that fact. The world’s current exceptional state is not the topic of the feature, nor is it explicitly addressed, but it does not pretend that certain factors of daily life haven’t changed. Rife with musical numbers, after finishing their songs, the characters in this film put their face masks back on.

The plot is as follows: a derelict who goes by the name of Tralala (Mathieu Almaric) spends his days busking in the streets of Paris. Like an angelic apparition, a young woman (Galatéa Bellugi) emerges out of nowhere, compliments him and the two of them go to a bar. She disappears again but not without having paid for their drinks with a large bill in order to ensure Tralala is handed the change. His subsequent search for her leads him to the pilgrimage site Lourdes, where he is believed to be a missing musician named Pat.

The result of this directorial collaboration between brothers Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu is an offbeat musical – quite literally so. Sometimes it’s the characters/actors who can’t hold a tune, more often than not the rhythm of the lyrics and the flow of the music don’t match up. There is not a single catchy melody that would justify any of the cacophony the audience must endure.

Stripped of the lilting and shallow religious imagery, Tralala is yet another French film about a middle-aged man’s obsession with a young woman. One can only be grateful that she denies him a kiss when he asks for it, considering the development in the story where he may or may not be her biological father.

Selina Sondermann

Tralala does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Cannes Film Festival 2021 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Cannes Film Festival website here.