French Legend Lafont A Pot-Dealing Grandma In 'Paulette'
The legendary French actress Bernadette Lafont performs a massive change of character in Paulette, turning from a bitter old racist to a cuddly pot-dealing grandma.
The film, from writer-director Jérôme Enrico, is a safe sort of comedy about change in old age and, perhaps, the character-enriching properties of getting rich. It comes to Minneapolis' St. Anthony Main Theater about three years after debuting in its native France, where it was a hit and one of Lafont's final films. She died in 2013.
At the start, Lafont's character is broke, getting by on a monthly allowance and scrounging for food scraps in a Parisian suburb. She lives in the shadow of her past life, missing her husband, who's been dead a decade, and blaming all her problems on foreigners.
Her racism is blatant, almost unbelievably so. While confessing to her black priest (whom she apparently respects), Paulette tells him that he "deserves to be white." Her character seems like it's supposed to be a goofy caricature of European xenophobia. At the start, it makes her tough to root for, especially considering how nasty she is to her young, black grandson.
Yet, Paulette comes around to humanity via an entrepreneurial plunge into the drug trade. After learning from her cop son-in-law how much hashish dealers make, she decides to get in on the action. After straight-up asking the local drug kingpin for work, she bravely takes to the streets.
Humor alights from the situation: Grandma selling drugs. Laughs float up as she tries to hide the operation from her best friends, her weird and romantic neighbor, and her son-in-law, who's constantly around her neighborhood, looking to dismantle the drug dealers. Things get even goofier when Paulette, who's got a background as a baker, starts making serious dough through edibles, "space cakes" and "Afghan cookies."
And the more money Paulette gets, the nicer she seems to become. From a visual standpoint – new clothes, a seaside vacation, a massive TV set – the drug money seems to contribute mightily to the dissolving of Paulette's racism and general meanness. While the intended moral takeaway probably wasn't "money cures racism," that's pretty much what's happening here, at least on the surface.
On a deeper level, Paulette seems to explore how living in the past hinders personal growth, especially in the light of France's immigration issues. It's nothing too moving or profound. Then again, this is a goofy comedy about a hash-dealing old lady. So, in some way, the film isn't too different from eating an "Afghan cookie." It's sweet, strange and mostly amusing. And on a fall-like September night, why not?
Paulette is playing at the St. Anthony Main Theatre.
