With a Smile: Why Being Nice Gets You Nowhere

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school French cinema that feels a bit like a lecture on why society is fake, then yeah, give this a shot. It is not exactly a high-octane thriller. If you want something that moves at the speed of a modern blockbuster, you will probably be bored out of your mind within ten minutes.

It’s the kind of movie that makes you want to go wash your face afterward. Like, sure, he’s successful now, but at what cost? Watching him transition from a genuine tramp to a smiling suit is honestly kind of uncomfortable. It reminds me a bit of the social maneuvering you see in Confidence, where everyone is just playing a role.

The Smile Factor

The whole premise hinges on this one guy telling our hero to just smile. It’s so simple it’s infuriating. Suddenly, he’s climbing the corporate ladder. The movie doesn't even try to hide how hollow it all is. You can practically see the gears turning in the protagonist’s head every time he forces that expression.

There is this one scene near the middle where he’s trying to land a deal. He’s sweating, his teeth are bared in this rigid, terrifying grin, and the other people in the room just eat it up. It’s hilarious and depressing at the same time. I don't think I’ve ever seen a film capture the feeling of 'faking it until you make it' with such weird intensity. 😬

• The lighting in the office scenes is suspiciously bright.
• Nobody actually talks like a normal human being, but maybe that's the point?
• The coat the main character wears at the start has a very distracting frayed sleeve.

I found myself thinking about The Stranger while watching this, mainly because of how isolated the main character feels even when he's surrounded by people. He’s a stranger in his own life now, all because he decided to stop being grumpy.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s definitely something. It’s a bit rough around the edges, and the dialogue hits you over the head with the message. Still, there’s a weird honesty to how dishonest the movie is about success. Kind of makes you wonder if we’re all just wearing masks, right? Anyway, it’s worth a watch if you’re into the old stuff and have a rainy afternoon to kill.