43/40
Returning to Saint-Martial for his late boss’s funeral, Jérémie’s stay with the widow Martine becomes embroiled in a disappearance, a menacing neighbor, and the shady intentions of an abbot. The film was widely tipped to be in official competition at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, but was instead placed in the Cannes Premiere section. Misericordia takes its time to roll, and when it does start rolling, there’s no way to contain your laughter until it crescendoes in the final shot. With very gentle humor sprinkled throughout, it tells the story of a taciturn man who travels to a village to attend the funeral of a mentor. There he meets his mentor’s wife, his son, and a priest – all of whom seem to be saying something other than what they have in mind. What I love about Misericordia is how it suddenly changes writing to make the viewer laugh, all in a deadpan style. It reminded me of Deerskin (2019) and The Bra (2018). (Watched at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024.)