Full Time

In selected cinemas now

The global economy has made for bleak reading for some time now, with the cost of living increasing at a frenetic pace for all but the usual select few. Full Time, written and directed by Éric Gravel, offers both a timely and painful reminder of this, documenting the everyday dread of making ends meet via the eyes of Laure Calamy’s single mother. 

Calamy is outstanding in the lead role, which sees her juggle an arduous daily commute from her suburban home to central Paris, an exhausting and poorly paid job as the head maid at a luxury hotel, and the unique struggles that come with being a parent to young children. Her preparation for the role allegedly involved interacting with real-life maids who had gone on strike in objection to their working conditions, and such commitment can be seen in her engrossing performance. 

Irène Drésel’s pulsating, synth-heavy score, along with Gravel’s assured direction, also does a fine job of transforming these ordinary travails into the sort of nerve-shredding, tightrope-esque experience that one would expect to see in a far less realistic picture. In that sense, Full Time evokes memories of recent Safdie brothers films such as Uncut Gems and Good Time.

This film truly belongs to Calamy though, who does a wonderful job of conveying the oscillation of emotions that come with just trying to get by and do right by yourself and the ones you love. It is an achingly familiar and altogether convincing display that, sadly, many will resonate with.