“Those who count” is the third feature film by Jean-Baptiste Leonetti, a mix of humor and pessimism, lightness and melancholy. A solitary man in his thirties, Jean (Pierre Lottin), disconnected from the world, meets Rose (Sandrine Kiberlain), a mother of three bereaved children whose shattered joy seals an unexpected bond between them.
The two actors, in symbiosis, play a familiar tune: that of the “Auguste” who, through enthusiasm and clumsiness, eventually cracks the shell of his counterpart. But there’s something fundamentally poetic, carried by a soft photography (David Nissen). While the situation may initially bring to mind the duo in “L’Emmerdeur” by Édouard Molinaro, the arrival of a mute Pierre Lottin installs comedy in a realism that will not leave the film.
The director’s work on the relationship between the two characters?
Sandrine Kiberlain. “Not at all, even though I love that film! What I love above all is the flaws, twisting the characters. In life, we want to feel reassured, stay on course, and suddenly, we slip on a banana peel. I have infinite tenderness for these bourgeois women supposed to stay in line, in the manner of Claude Gensac or Maria Pacôme. On paper, they are classy, well-behaved, but they turn out to be completely crazy. It’s this hidden eccentricity that gives them all their flavor. In “Those who count,” there is something reminiscent of the American comedy process, like “Working Girl” by Mike Nichols, with Melanie Griffith and Harrison Ford, where they are poles apart, or films by Ernst Lubitsch.
Pierre, your interpretation of playing it subdued?
Pierre Lottin. Jean is so broken that he doesn’t have much to say, he becomes a hermit. He is forced to detach himself to avoid facing his own lack of values and principles. My acting was about showing emotions that shouldn’t be said, usual silences. There is a Japanese word for it: “yūgen.”
The chemistry that developed made it not caricatural?
S. K. It was very well written. The script already suggested that the meeting, which seems unlikely on paper, was actually very plausible. And then it’s all in the acting. We quickly feel that it’s going to be simple.
P. L. The alchemy that was created helped, we got along very well both personally and professionally: we asked ourselves similar questions about the characters’ situation, the lines, the body. So, things align on their own, it’s just the balance that changes as the days go on.
The definition of the relationship that unites the main characters?
P. L. It’s a friendship that transcends romantic codes. Here, there’s no need to impress, to please, or to appear; the relationship is raw, immediate. Two solitudes that recognize each other.
S. K. It’s an encounter born out of urgency. She has children to save, a life that is completely falling apart, she’s a fighter and she sees in him an unexpected opportunity. Maybe, at some point, he thinks it might be a chance too. That’s the whole point of the story.
The strong and almost obsessive graphical motifs at the hotel that reinforce the sense of confinement between your characters?
S. K. We don’t ponder over all these questions when we shoot. We arrived at an inspiring set. The costumes help us a lot. For example, Rose’s cowboy boots added a rebellious touch, very confident, to this girl. The whole look is worked on with the team, it helps us in building the character.
P. L. We can change the energy with a jacket or a t-shirt. For instance, Jean is a bit uncomfortable in his body. Something we see with the oversized suit, the loose pants…
Sandrine, how do you feel about playing a comedic character like Woody Allen’s?
S. K. It was the success of “9 Months Stretch” by Albert Dupontel that made it obvious. Before, it was more confidential when I explored comedy with Pascal Bonitzer in “Nothing About Robert” or with Sophie Fillières in “The Beauties.” Yet, since drama school, I dabbled in comedy. What interests me is making my characters real. And I feel that this truth comes through rhythm, body language, and also through these little detours. When you see Diane Keaton in a Woody Allen film, you feel like you meet her in person, she is so real. She achieves truth by being unique.”
