Review of 99 Francs (2007) by Ola G — 04 Jan 2013

Octave Parango (Jean Dujardin) a succesful copywriter works for the advertising agency Ross & Witchcraft, hoovers cocaine, attends parties, hangs with prostitutes and enjoys his status as a consumermind manipulator together with his Art Director Charles 'Charlie' Dagout (Jocelyn Quivrin). His life seems to be an endless party, not without hangovers.

Though and bad trips, but the selfish and cynical Octave has no regrets. Not until he starts dating the stunning Sophie (Vahina Giocante), a trainee at R&W and his first ever long-time relationship. On top of his personal problems, there is also work for a very choosy customer - Madone, a yogurt manufacturer. He is getting closer and closer to the edge both healthwise and workwise and eventually he wants nothing but revenge on the advertising industry...

"99 Francs" is originally a 2000 novel by French writer Frédéric Beigbeder based on his experience in advertising. Shortly after the book's initial release Beigbeder was fired from his advertising job after his employers read the novel. In the hands of director Jan Kounen ("Dobermann") this satire on the modern advertising industry is dynamic, crazy, dark, animated, funny, kind of true (if you ever worked in the ad industry...) and trippy/drug infused. We see as well religious references, as normally advertising and branding are compared to being a religion and the border between reality and fiction is mixed in a clever and funny way througout the movie. The movie is more or less made like a gigantic commercial with an enormous amount of information packed into the frame. The movie almost bursts out of the screen with messages, hints, references, thoughts, critique and attacks on the industry. I like Kounen´s different and intriguing shooting techniques, scene structure and the camerawork. And Jean Dujardin is great as Octave. Love the scene when Octave ends up in a dubbed commercial during a drugtrip. In a way I reckon you need to have been part of the advertising industry as myself, to fully enjoy this cynical view/opinion and as well to have the knowledge of the crazy world of advertising..