Top Floor Left Wing Film Review

Between a rock and a hard place.  

          There has always been a job where people hate you and Francois just happens to have one of those jobs, a bailiff. As he starts out his day in the Persian projects of France, collecting money, possessions and evicting unprofitable residents. In his first assignment of the day he runs into Mohand, a middle aged man who sent his payment in late, which is unknown to Francois. With the help of the police, the ostentatious Francois attempts to push his way into the apartment to collect profitable items so the void of absent rent money can be filled. With all the previous ruckus, Mohand's disconnected teen son, Salem, has woken up and in a sudden display of paroxysm, grabs Francois as a hostage and pushes the door closed behind him. The audience is left clueless; just like the police, Salem's father and Francois. Even thought Mohand is averse to the idea, the decisions are made by the gun wielding Salem. From here the serious story ensues into an inextricable but mirth situation.
            This drama/comedy takes an enticingly heated situation and submerges it in a tank of comic relief that blurs the line between drama and comedy. Whether this was done suitably is up to ones personal preference, but it left me thinking that the writer/director just did not have enough material for a full length drama so they decided to throw in a barrage of one liners that did leave me laughing. From color code jokes to marriage quips the story never becomes too serious, which seems to be the problem. The only thing that kept Top Floor Left Wing from falling into a 3 Stooges ordeal are the progressions of the characters and scenes.            
            The story does do an excellent job unfolding a series of bizarre situations and relationships. An example being the stand off itself, which goes through multiple stages, each with a beginning and climax leading up to the next level. The uncovering and development of each of the 3 main characters (diligent performance by Salem's actor) in such a tense situation made sure one is constantly hooked, if the jokes or plot had not been doing their job. The most engrossing being the transformation of the father and son's relations.        
            As the plot progressed, everything began to fall into place with an elegance that does not expose every little detail at once but instead unearthing a fossil at a time, with more beneath and then ending hysterically. The movie lets you choose a favorite character rather then focusing on one, a sense that is exacerbated by the fact that the movie does a great job of following multiple characters; from Salem, to Mohand, to Francois and the police chief. This was done by cuts and steady pans that felt natural, unlike the jumpiness of the show 24.            
            Top Floor Left Wing had its moments but had me leaving the theater wanting something more powerful and memorable. French socioeconomically and race issues undertone the whole movie but do not turn into anything more and come off as more of a fictional setting then an actual problem. In addition, the extraneous female police officer character and the occasional superfluous scene just has you saying “hu?” The jokes were undoubtedly humorous, but they were so abundant that I could not take anything too seriously. If Top Floor left Wing were made just a little differently, it would have a lasting impact rather then the “ehh” it currently holds.

Just like the characters, this keeps one between a rock and a hard place.

7 out of 10