three reasons to go see Artus’ new comedy at the cinema

A little something extra **

d’Artus

French film, 1h39

► An incredible and luminous story

Two broken-arm robbers parked their car in a “handicapped” space, long enough to attack a jewelry store. Due to a lack of vehicle on their return and a misunderstanding, they leave in a bus with adults with mental disabilities to escape the police.

One of the bandits, Paulo, pretends to be Sylvain, a boarder, the other, La Fraise, for his educator. Here they are embarked for a stay in the Pyrenees (beautifully filmed) with the stolen jewels and the fear of being unmasked. Under a generous sun, Paulo happily finds his place in this joyful group, while Strawberry just wants to get away.

► Tender and caustic humor about disability

As a child, Artus enjoyed the company of boys around him with Down syndrome and autism. He always loves spontaneity, humor and the ability to fully feel the emotions of people with mental disabilities.

At the Montreux festival, this comedian performed a sketch on disabled sports where he found an endearing tone to talk about the differences between jokes and tenderness. A tone that he takes up in A little something extra. It’s all in the title without the slightest demagoguery: it describes the extra touch of frankness and enthusiasm that makes everyday life more intense.

► Great performers

Artus plays Paulo, who opens our eyes to these vacationers who are not quite like the others. Eleven non-professional actors play roles close to what they are in the city. Among them, Arnaud (Arnaud Toupense), a mischievous fly and fan of Dalida; Boris (Boris Pitoeff), a taciturn man with surprising outfits; Alexandre (Stanislas Carmont), Sarkozy’s groupie who speaks with the verve of a politician; Marie (Marie Colin), flirtatious who has a crush on Arnaud; Baptiste (Théophile Leroy), always with the ball at his feet, who comes out of his introversion to show his affection for La Fraise (Clovis Cornillac). In the team of supervisors, Alice Belaïdi shines in her role as an energetic educator, entirely devoted to her protégés.