Written and directed by Aude Léa Rapin, France, 2039, one night, a group of activists pursued by the state vanish without a trace. Julia Bombarth is one of them. When she awakens, she finds herself trapped in an entirely unfamiliar world: PLANET B. Starring: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Souheila Yacoub, Eliane Umuhire, India Hair, Paul Beaurepaire, Jonathan Couzinié and Théo Cholbi.
There are some actors who have such an enthralling presence that whatever they’re in, it will always be worth watching for their performance and Adèle Exarchopoulos is one of them. She’s equally as good at being nonchalant as she is intense, she’s relentlessly charming and effortless to watch. Unsurprisingly she brings those qualities again to Planet B, creating a strong, intelligent, caring and principled character in Julia. She’s then paired excellently well with Souheila Yacoub as Nour, the two have a fascinating chemistry and bring together two complicated yet compassionate characters. Although, it feels as though there could have been a little more background to deepen their connection, both to each other and with the audience.
The further in Planet B gets, the more characters it throws into the mix and that choice feels like more of a distraction than addition. With one notable exception in Eliane Umuhire who is superb and it’s only a shame her character in particular was not fleshed out at all, as Umuhire had so much to offer, if she’d been given the chance to explore. Although the character histories are only one part of the struggle with the writing.
Surprisingly for a film set in a dystopian future, Planet B leans into the dramatic over the sci-fi and political elements of the story. There’s actually an interesting conversation to be had about the moral and ethical questions Aude Léa Rapin raises about punishment, both mental and physical. However, it doesn’t feel like the story really gets to grips with the complex side of things, mostly focused on the relationship between Julia and Nour. It leaves things quite slow and lacklustre, the potential is there but it’s making itself feel overcomplicated while not being complicated enough.
However, visually it’s hitting the right notes, leaning into that darker palette to match the tone of its oppressive future. There’s a nice texture to the aesthetic and the filmmakers do a great job of differentiating between Planet B and the outside world. The direction attempts to build a depth where it’s missing in the story and does succeed but it can only go so far without the plot to back it up.
Planet B had an interesting concept but doesn’t take the time to explore all the questions that it’s asking. Adèle Exarchopoulos is wonderful as always and she’s in great company with Souheila Yacoub and Eliane Umuhire, they all create great characters but also could have done much more with them, given the chance. The direction and cinematography are strong but there’s something missing, a bigger heart or stronger villain to root against, it needed something to charge its energy in a much bigger way.
FilmCarnage.com 