Particularly praised at film festivals, To the hilt is broadcast this Monday, November 25, 2024, at 9:05 p.m., on France 3. The opportunity to review the beginnings of a very promising young actor: Thomas Gioria. Tele-Leisure tells you what happens to the person who plays Julien in Xavier Legrand's first feature film.
This Monday, November 25, 2024, at 9:05 p.m., the channel France 3 immerses us in a gripping thriller by Xavier Legrand. Having won four Césars (2019) and two Silver Lions (2017), To the hilt recounts the heartbreak of the Besson family. In the midst of a divorce, Myriam (Léa Drucker) requests sole custody of her child Julien (Thomas Gioria). This mother fears that her husband, Antoine (Denis Ménochet), will behave violently towards Julien. However, the judge ruled in favor of shared custody. Julien will therefore find himself torn between his father's home and that of his mother and suffer the pressure of divorce on his young shoulders. An extreme and difficult first role that Thomas Gioria was able to assume brilliantly.
To the hilt : Thomas Gioria's first experience in the cinema
In his film, Xavier Legrand uses the children, Julien and his sister Joséphine, as a mirror of family tensions and domestic violence. The director also chose to give them very few dialogues for good reason. He explains: “In domestic violence, children generally have no say. Even if their words are heard, they are very rarely listened to.“It is therefore with means other than words that Thomas Gioria had to play his role.”Thomas has a very rare quality for his age and worthy of the best actors: his listening and his breathing. By 'listening' I mean his presence, his way of listening to what his partner says to him. Thomas speaks with his eyes, dialogues with the intensity of his breathing“, says Xavier Legrand. To help Thomas Gioria in his first experience in cinema as an actor, the director called on Amour Rawyler, a children's coach. The filmmaker says: “Our work with the coach was to highlight his qualities while preserving his spontaneity, so precious for the young actor that he is.“
What will Thomas Gioria become?
Introduced to theater by his brothers and sisters, Thomas Gioria began taking classes to train while learning to overcome his shyness. When he is selected to play Julien in To the hiltthe budding actor is only 14 years old. His striking performance still earned him a nomination for the César for Most Promising Actor (2019) alongside Dylan Robert, who won the prestigious trophy. Subsequently, this young prodigy will not give up the cinema by taking on strong roles. He notably played Paul, a teenager madly in love with a patient in a psychiatric clinic in the film Adoration. Thomas Gioria integrated after the casting of Madeleine Collinsa drama by Antoine Barraud. He is also interested in the small screen by playing Ernest in season 1 of Jeune & Golri. He also continued the adventure in a second season broadcast in June 2023 on OCS. In Brilliantreleased on January 18, 2023, the actor plays the role of Ziggy, the son of Karine (Céline Sallette), a cleaning lady. His latest film: Toni, with familyin which he stars alongside Camille Cottin.
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