Full Time (2021) User Reviews

Fast paced modern life of a single mother

[charnwood-60525 · 8/10 · 29 March 2022]

It's hectic movie.

The photography and music reflects the pace of the daily life for Julie (Laure Calamy).

She leads a hectic life, living in a village a long way from her equally hectic job as the Chief Housemaid in an upmarket hotel in downtown Paris.

We see her at a critical point in her life.

There's a public transport strike, the mortgage is overdue, the alimony payment from her ex hasnt come through.

Adding to her stress, the elderly babysitter for her 2 small children is struggling to cope.

We find out that it's a fill-in job after leaving her (well-paid) career role in Market Research.

There's light at the end of the tunnel, as she fits in an interview back in the industry she came from.

The film only covers a week or so, as she juggles all these challenges, trying to do all them well, and be a good mother.

Calamy does a very job, showing the variety of emotions of this single mother tying her best to survive and solve the multitude of problems she faces every day.

Relatable and moving

[steveinadelaide · 8/10 · 6 September 2022]

If you have ever had to juggle full-time work with parenting then you will appreciate this French movie, FULL TIME. The story follows Julie as she tries to secure a job that will enable her to better provide for her child. However, things do not go according to plan when a national transit strike throws a wrench in her plans.

The film does an excellent job of portraying the difficulties of working mothers. Julie is constantly torn between her responsibilities at work and her duties at home. She is also under a lot of pressure to perform well at both. This can be very relatable for many viewers who may have experienced similar situations in their own lives.

The lead actress, Laure Calamy, does an amazing job of conveying the emotional roller coaster that Julie is on throughout the film. She can capture the frustration, anxiety, and determination that comes with trying to balance work and motherhood. And the cinematography by Victor Seguin brilliantly shows the frenetic pace of the city and the director, Eric Gravel, chose to colour-correct Paris to make it look cold and hostile to Julie.

Overall, FULL TIME is a well-written and acted film that will resonate with anyone who has ever had to juggle full-time work and parenting. It is a relatable and moving story that is sure to leave you feeling empathy for single working mothers everywhere.

Wow. Just wow.

[bjacob · 8/10 · 16 June 2023]

Laura Calamy runs for her life, in a sense, and for the live of her children. There is no monster or serial killer out to get her: the challenge of this divorced mother of two, who has dropped long ago out of her career to raise her offspring, and now has to eke out a living by working as a chambermaid, is to make ends meet. We are in Ken Loach territory here, but À plein temps couldn't be more different, and frankly it's heads and shoulder above most of Loach's works. For a start, it's shot like a thriller: it's fast paced, and dry. It doesn't hector or guilt-trip the spectator; it doesn't depict its protagonist like a saint either: Julie Roy is as flawed as most people are. She is smart, can even be crafty, but has no time for moral refinement: for her, it's sink or swim, and she is determined to not sink (her only moment of genuine doubt arrives in the last third of the movie, in the scene at the station. The camera lingers on her back in one of the rare long shots in the film, and yet somehow we can read her thoughts -- this is the work of an author who truly masters their craft).

What put Julie in this situation is ultimately left to the spectator to decide. Has she at least partially brought it onto her by buying into a 50s-style suburban life myth? Is it society who has lost all empathy? Is there hope for her? I won't spoil the ending, but suffice to say, it's as powerful and dry and hard-hitting as the rest of the movie.

À plein temps is giving me hope for French cinema. It's a great movie. Don't miss it.

True life - parenting chaos - superb

[andrewtparker-48263 · 9/10 · 18 August 2022]

What a movie. Well directed; well acted; it never stops; and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Any working parent will get this film and any single working parent will relate to the decisions and life choices this incredibly hard working mum has to make each day and each minute.

If anyone says Hollywood does thrillers and dramas, come and watch a story without car chases, without explosions, just the drama and emotion of real life.

Woman Fights Tide...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 27 March 2023]

There are days when you must wonder what the hell, as you're caught in one almighty, intense swell, fighting currents that don't ebb, trapped by an all-consuming web, in a battered, beaten, broken, burnt out shell.

It's a top drawer performance from Laure Calamy as the divorced mother of two Julie Roy, desperately trying to make ends meet and juggle a multitude of balls, while making the long commute to and from Paris working as a chambermaid. An opportunity to recover a career that she sacrificed for children is not helped on a day when strikes hit the transport system and her world becomes even more gridlocked, while an unsympathetic employer is not amused by her time keeping (amongst other things). You're left wondering how many women find themselves in the same or similar position and struggle to keep their heads above water.

Marine Corps boothill camp is a joke compared to this lady's life.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8 February 2023]

In 1973, you had a French comedy called ELLE COURT ELLE COURT LA BANLIEUE, speaking of the hectic daily life of a suburban woman going to work every day, using public transportation, the kind of scheme in which millions of people could recognize themselves in. This one is not really a comedy, because it may be disturbing to watch, when you realize the hell this poor woman, mother of two, has to fight like a dog to survive, between a stressful job - she works in a Parisian palace, as a sort of supervisor - public transportation strike hell - so typical of France, the STRIKE KINGDOM in the world, financial problems, unbearable kids, problems to take care fo them when she works, a new job...You suffer for her, you feel dizzy for her, you may watch yourself in a mirror viewing this so realistic story. Maybe it's too much, I mean "too many" problems occur to this poor woman. It can't be possible that so many cataclysms happen on this casualty of modern world. I was surprised by the way she got rid off the big shipment from the van. Very ingenious, this is the kind of scene you may see in a crime film, about hoodlums pulling a heist. A jewel of a film, a mirror of the modern world, especially in France, my homeland, where a transportation bus line, train or subway may be stopped for hours just when a passenger feels sick, faints, or pukes. France where chaos, mess, jam everywhere is written in the Constitution. And I am in the best position to say this. France....

A French Ken Loach

[moocow-61598 · 7/10 · 8 August 2022]

I had an overwhelming feeling of watching a Ken Loach film with subtitles, but better photographed and with more interesting music. A hard-working single mother is faced with an unrelenting series of dramas and setbacks. Unlike Ken Loach nobody has to die to wrap up the story.

Balances Tension and Humanity in a Relatable Tale

[FilmFanatic2023 · 8/10 · 6 February 2023]

Éric Gravel's "Full Time" is a well-crafted film that follows a single mother, Julie (Laure Calamy), as she tries to make ends meet in a society that seems stacked against her. The movie has a fast-paced feel reminiscent of "Run Lola Run," while also offering a story that viewers can relate to on a personal level. Julie's job as the head chambermaid of a hotel is not ideal, and she's determined to land a better job at a marketing firm. However, with a citywide transit strike and her dependence on public transportation, she faces challenges in reaching her interview on time.

The film's technical aspects, such as Mathilde Van de Moortel's editing and Irene Dresel's score, add to the tension and keep viewers on edge. Julie's determination to better herself is admirable, but the film does not shy away from showing her flaws. Although the movie lacks a strong statement about the strike and organized labor, it is an intelligent and engaging story about a familiar struggle. Gravel's film blends tension and humanism to create an impactful experience.

Full time

[snoducky · 7/10 · 31 October 2023]

A very genuine film, A superb representation of how hard the real world can be but also how motivation can drive a person to achieve great things. Shows how important supporting children is and how in the end life will work out although having ups and downs eventually a line will be drawn, a stable strong line. The acting is great paired with the simple but realistic story truly makes it feel like a real life experience and situation. This film also showcases Frances strikes well and how it affects the people and families in disastrous ways. Overall a solid choice for a good evening movie to watch alone or with some company.

In the pursuit of happiness, very relatable

[vinceb-71112 · 8/10 · 31 August 2023]

Pretty much this and a pursuit of happiness are the most relatable movie I've seen to a period in my life that though hard played a big roll in making me the man I am today. Living in any major city in American can be tough high rents, low wages, marital issues... It's really tough to be a single parent especially if you don't have grandparents or family support. Watching this women sprint to a train, hustle at work, rely on the blessings of dumb luck to get home and back to work is exactly the agst and anxiety that was my life for over a decade. This film is honest and tough to watch at moments. The director did a great job of making every moment feel tense and rushed..... Because that's what it feels like in that situation always. Here are two all the hardworking good parents building trampolines in the dark when they have to get up early..... Great movie.

Full Time

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 27 May 2023]

This ought to be compulsory viewing for strikers and management alike. The fact that in the 21st century, we are still resorting to these antiquated sledgehammer tactics to deal with industrial disputes is frankly stupefying. Like they say about economic sanctions, they never effect the folks they are intended to, but the ordinary person on the street gets well and truly shafted. "Julie" (Laure Calamy) is one such person who is trying to juggle two-children single-parenthood with a shift job as the head chambermaid in a 5-star hotel whilst simultaneously trying to organise an interview with a market research company - her professional background - that will hopefully give her a better and more regular career and allow her to rely less on the increasingly wearying neighbour "Mme. Lusigny" (Geneviève Mnich) for childcare. The sense of exasperation felt by the woman throughout this film is palpable. You cannot help but feel sorry for her as she tries to juggle plates galore, keep a grasp on her sanity, keep her job, her temper and stay on the right side of her young children. Most of us who live (or have lived) in an urban area and who relied on mass transportation will appreciate just how poleaxing it can be to your entire life when the things stop running. Calamy's strong and engaging characterisation here offers us a really plausible look at what exhaustion that can cause really looks like. The ending has a redemption to it that has you leaving the cinema with a smile, but for the most part this is actually quite an uncomfortably effective look at how the actions of some - regardless of politics - can seriously screw things up for others. Surely the time has now come for locked doors, bread, water and white smoke?

Highly recommended drama

[dakjets · 8/10 · 29 January 2023]

Two years after this film was released, it is more relevant than ever. Increased prices for food, heating, petrol and public services have taken off in Europe over the past year. Many feel enormous pressure. Especially those in low-wage jobs, like the main character in this poignant social drama that unfolds in Paris. Rarely have I seen a film that gets the message across to such an extent. Social drama yes, but the pace of the lead actor almost takes your breath away. Time is of the essence here. And to make both the money last, in a world where being poor makes them incredibly vulnerable and with very little to go on before the disaster is a fact. If so, this film is a wake-up call. Because it gives an insight into how many people live now. Gripping and topical film that I highly recommend. Thank you and praise that films of this format are still being made. Eye-opening film.

Gripping watch.

[jjcerrone · 7/10 · 10 March 2024]

The word I would use to sum up this film is frantic. It was 100mph from start to finish. Laure Calamay is terrific in the lead role and you can't but sympathise with her juggling her home and work life balance - which seemed fairly impossible based on what we see. I was rooting for her to succeed though. Not a relaxing watch but really absorbing all the same. Maybe could have done with being a bit longer to draw out more in her personal relationships. The direction is very good and the drama is well shot. It really gives the impression of being a really difficult stressful situation dealing with the transport strikes over an extended period.

A harrowing portrayal of the impossibility of balancing work and family when everything goes wrong.

[maxliden · 5/10 · 21 July 2022]

A well-made film which was incredibly distressing to watch.

In a lifestyle that is hardly feasible at its outset, all parts of the protagonists life fall apart despite her best efforts.

In every situation she is met with the worst-case-scenario which accumulates throughout the film to a crescendo where she contemplates stepping in front of a train in front of her kids.

The film did a good job of making you feel trapped in her impossible situation together with her. This made for an (intentionally) unpleasant watch, hence the low score.

Overpowering distillation of single-parent life

[movie-reviews-uk · 8/10 · 15 March 2023]

This is remarkable film that will feel utterly familiar to any parent with young children and quite unrelatable to anyone else. Perhaps even more familiar if you're a single parent with a dead-end job struggling to stay off welfare and keep your kids.

The backdrop is France, and specifically Paris, during a time of chaos as worker's strike. This rather echoes the current industrial action paralyzing the UK and forcing the working poor closer to the edge. If you can't work from home then this action is a dagger to the heart forcing you to run, run, run for dear life.

In "Full Time" that's Julie's world in a nutshell. To the backdrop of an insistent soundtrack that raises the tension to a high pitch she's constantly rushing from one crisis to another. Stress, fear and worry are etched into her features as she tries to avoid letting anyone down as the world conspires against her.

This is so utterly "not Hollywood" with no particular story arc, character development or artful dialog - instead it just "is" and we are voyeurs to a life slowly falling to pieces. Step by step Julie edges closer to the precipice. It's impossible to look away but deeply uncomfortable at the same time.

I guess this means that "Full Time" won't appeal to every audience but my oh my you should make the effort to catch it while you can. If you're looking for more than just pure escapism this is a film that captures a miniature of life in compelling detail.

Real life thriller

[martinpersson97 · 10/10 · 14 May 2023]

I heard this description once for this recent and for everyone very relatable masterpiece. It's incredibly suspenseful and the feeling of threat and constant anxiety is ever present, whilst dealing with what is just every day struggles, that every aduly can relate to in some (hopefully not all) fashion.

The script is simply incredible and very unique, following the main protagonist exlusively throughout the entire run, and the unique and interesting cutting and cinematography reflects it all beautifully.

The acting is amazing, especially from the lead of course, who is incredible - and this is a very much recommended film for everyone, and very eye-opening.

realistic and unflinching

[TheBigSick · 4 July 2023]

Full Time (2021) is a French drama film directed by Éric Gravel and starring Laure Calamy. The film follows Julie, a single mother who works multiple jobs to make ends meet. When a national transit strike disrupts her daily routine, Julie is forced to make difficult choices about her work and family life.

The film is a tightly-paced character study that offers a realistic and unflinching look at the challenges faced by working mothers. Julie is a sympathetic and relatable protagonist, and Calamy gives a tour-de-force performance. The film's supporting cast is also excellent, with standout performances from Anne Suarez and Olivia Côte.

Gravel's direction is assured and confident. He uses long takes and handheld camerawork to create a sense of urgency and immediacy. The film's cinematography is also impressive, capturing the beauty of Paris while also highlighting the city's harsh realities.

Full Time is a powerful and timely film that is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to balance work and family life. It is a must-see for fans of social realism and female-driven cinema.

Here are some of the things that critics have said about the film:

"A gripping and suspenseful film that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled." - The Guardian

"A powerful and moving film that offers a rare glimpse into the lives of working mothers." - The New York Times

"A must-see for anyone who has ever felt the pressure of juggling work and family." - Variety

If you're looking for a film that will challenge you, move you, and stay with you long after you've seen it, then I highly recommend Full Time.

A strong independent woman.

[torrascotia · 7/10 · 14 March 2023]

This film has obviously lead to some mixed reviews and it's easy to see why.

The story is quite straightforward, it a masters graduate single mother struggling to keep her head above water juggling a job, childcare and full time employment. And failing miserably.

This is due to her decision making which is both selfish and wrong by headed. Almost every problem she encounters is as a result of her own actions.

Despite being a university graduate she seems to have no clue about the world of work. Choosing to work so far from home it becomes a horror show every time theres an issue with the trains.

She causes chaos both at work and in her private life with impulsive and deceitful behaviours. She isn't a very sympathetic character, however this is what makes it realistic.

The reason this will go down like a lead balloon with some is that it destroys the myth of the strong independent woman trope. That somehow being a single mother (masters degree or not) is a happier option than being in a stable marriage. This is hardly a spoiler but most of not all of her issues juggling her life would be addressed by having a man there. And this is why those peddling the strong independent woman narrative will see red. Not just because cinema is finally showing the downsides of divorce for women, but that it's striking a chord with audiences. Some reviews have said it's about "unfortunate" events happening, these people must be blind to the decision making on show on the screen. This isn't a Bridget Jones look how clumsy and awkward I am movie, it's serious and there are adult consequences.

The production is fine although if you have a dislike of electronic music you may wish to avoid. It has a similar score to the Adam Sandler movie about diamonds. It's all intense synths sans drums, it's obviously there to ramp up the tension, which doesn't always work if you listen to electronic music frequently. The other issue is that sure running for a train is stressful it's not exactly end of the world stuff. Most of the so called drama is quite mundane, so high intensity music while someone makes a bed is simply overkill.

I would recommend it, although for me I was less inclined to feel anxiety in sympathy for the character, my experience was more one where it was almost laughable at points, simply because I knew where the story was going. The late Kevin Samuels talked about tells a woman had no man in the house, such as a smoke alarm constantly beeping in need of a battery change. This whole movie is like one of those tells, obvious to those who know the signs, but this character has been sold the strong independent woman lie and these are the outcomes.

Superbly done study of the pressures inherent in single-parenting.

[jimfinger-47793 · 9/10 · 19 March 2023]

There's not a single false note in this brilliantly edited film that portrays (with warmth but not phony sentimentality) the stresses associated with being a single parent trying to balance the demands of motherhood while earning a decent living. The acting is top caliber, the direction and cinematography similarly so, and the pulsating musical score reinforces and heightens the dramatic tension and manages to create quite a bit of suspense in what is essentially a family drama. This is film-making where everyone involved is operating at the height of his or her craft. Very gratifying! Check it out.

Full Time - Non Stop Transit Bad Dream

[krocheav · 8/10 · 5 October 2023]

Full Time - Non Stop Transit Bad Dream

This is quality movie making, highlighting the hand-to-mouth existence of a single working mum - struggling to keep the wolf from the door while commuting to and from Paris during a crippling transport strike. For his second feature, writer/director Eric Gravel makes sure not a moment is wasted on unnecessary story details - this is solid storytelling capturing the exhausting, everyday battles so many modern parents and workers are forced to face in cities all over the world - while also being a strong comment on social and personal mores. Not to mention the madness of strike action to 'improve' our lives.

Laure Calamy's striking performance certainly earns the well-deserved praise for her award-winning performance as the 5 star chambermaid trapped in hideous robot like working conditions. While not all the ideas may come off perfectly, its good stuff, with a Tangerine Dream like sound scape to keep it moving. Recommended as above-average quality, for discerning viewers.

A must see.

[lauracattell-80176 · 10/10 · 9 July 2023]

I've been waiting for this movie to become available to stream in the UK. An entirely relatable story that could be told many times anywhere. A divorced woman's Sisyphean struggle to work, take care of her children, deal with an errant ex-husband - all under circumstances completely out of her control. An opportunity to change things results in frantic efforts to change her life. The ending is an unexpected masterpiece. In the meantime there are people who do their best but the system is unforgiving. You are fixated rooting for this woman. I defy anyone to not take a few deep breaths at the end of this film.

Totalement génial magnifique film français moderne

[tony-90710 · 10/10 · 23 February 2024]

Don't concern yourself that this film is set in Paris, and the language is in French. The audio dialogue is crisp and clear, far better than most American and British films that require subtitles to understand what the actors are saying with audio effects drowning out what was reputedly spoken in English. OK I did read the subtitles in English, but I didn't notice them cos this film is an emotional roller coaster - if you have any experience of life, relationships, children, jobs and losing them..and the brink of poverty..

Whilst set in Paris 3 years ago, it is more about now, than 2021. It could equally have been set in London, Manchester or Berlin today.

It's a very fast film, with this now single mum, with two young children, who does her very best to put first, trying to keep her job, whilst trying to find a better one, coping with Childminders, whilst trying to travel into Paris every day, during strikes, protests - the trains, buses, sometimes run ( like London now ).

She has so much determination, you think at any moment, she is going to breakdown, but can't for the sake of her Children. She has to carry on.

Life On The Brink

[keithhmessenger · 8/10 · 21 February 2024]

If you can imagine a film by Ken Loach (say, Sorry We Missed You) or the Dardennes brothers (say, Two Days, One Night) and instead of these social realist film-makers' studied, sometimes subtle, but always uncompromisingly real, approaches to film-making being replaced by a nail-biting, fast moving drama with equally pacy (electronic) soundtrack, then you'll be in the vicinity of (near novice) French writer-director, Éric Gravel's 2021 film. Of course, as we follow Laure Calamy's remarkably intense turn as single mother, Julie Roy, and her groundhog day-like 'lifestyle' of battling with everything (rail-taxi strikes, replacement bus services, financial insecurity, demanding job at a luxury Parisian hotel, agitating children, etc.) that life can throw at her, we (perhaps) ask the question, 'do we really want to sit through a(n admittedly rather concise) version of the stressful lives many of us actually experience first-hand'? Short of rejecting Gravel's film out of hand on this basis, I would challenge anyone not to get tied up in Julie's life frustrations and to really feel for this increasingly desperate woman. The undeniable dramatic power of Gravel's tale is probably roughly 50/50 driven by the director's film-making skills (particularly, editing and music) - notable for someone with relatively little experience - and the stellar central performance by Calamy, whose ability to mix calm professionalism, latent frustration and tender mothering skills is outstanding.

Of course, Gravel's drama raises a host of real social-political issues - amongst them the topical debate of working from home (an option Julie and her hotel work colleagues fantasise about), industrial relations (us Brits' common, stereotypical view of Julie's fellow countrymen!), family breakdown (and the consequent demand for childcare), the end of the 9-to-5 working culture, etc. - and Gravel tackles all of them head-on and to totally convincing dramatic effect. Associated with the film's unnervingly realistic approach to all these issues is its one-track nature - can Julie's tale really go anywhere? There is little in the way of relief here, certainly, save for Julie's stolen, embarrassed kiss at one point, but Gravel manages this potentially one-dimensional dilemma very effectively and dramatically.

The other comparator film that occurred to me, dealing with the (female-focused) modern-day work environment and which is at the other end of the dramatic spectrum to Gravel's film, is Kitty Green's slower and altogether more subtle 2019 film, The Assistant.

Real-Life Is Explosive Enough Without CGI

[t-d-t-m82 · 9/10 · 19 February 2024]

The way this film just builds-up tension is just genius. It's a cynical look at the pressure-points of low-paid work and very stressed staff seeking a new opportunity yet with every problem thrown in.

It's got fabulous acting. I love Laure Calamy as Julie Roy. Cyril Gueï as Vincent and Olivier Faliez as Paul the car man are great supporting roles. Geneviève Mnich is fabulous as is Madame Lusigny and so is Anne Suarez as Sylvie.

Wow. It's got some great cinema style taken from France's best like Chabrol and Godard and some fast tracking camera movements. The shoot is on location en Paris as well as the suburbs.

This movie has got the pressure points of working in the supply-chain absolutely nailed. I experienced this myself and nearly had a mental breakdown one day so I fully-understand how real it is and how close she was to this happening. The crying at the end is so beautiful and pongent! Rich people and politicians need to see this movie!

Throw in an absent arsehole father who doesn't pay the bills for their kids who are awesome kids makes it even more fueled with suspense and emotion!

It's got great camera angles and it is real cinema. It's not pretentious and it doesn't need a stupid-high budget. The cinema is clever; assured and professional. I can see why it won the gong at Venice!

I'm going to look out for the Director's other work. Grande cinema!

I'm a fan!

C'est bon!

Wonderful movie

[fariborzzaksea · 8/10 · 29 July 2023]

Life is hard , People had to struggle to take their life forward , This movie shows you this issue , When you see movie , you feel you are in the movie and you feel your life is so hard too , especially if you are a single mother , you can feel that some people actions are against you and you are helpless but GOD is with you (Romans 8-31 ) . The Director is Éric Gravel who has written and directed this French drama film , he has shown the hardness of Life wonderfully , at the end as Bible says in Revelation 3-8 and Revelation 3-7b ,, when you think all doors are closed opens GOD another door for you. The director/actresses have shown their own Life wonderfully.