Steven Soderbergh's strange «Laundromat

Saturday Netflix & chill - Lauriane Pipoz

Does the name Steven Soderbergh ring a bell? Erin Brockovich, Ocean's Eleven (and the next two), Magic Mike, it's him. A clean, crazy style, pop photography, all enhanced by talented actors. This latest film is particularly colorful. And yet, on paper, the subject didn't lend itself to it: a film starring Meryl Streep as an angry widow and popularizing the problem of offshore companies. Can't you see the link between the two? That's normal, the film is based on it.

The Laundromat opens with statements from Ramòn Fonseca (Antonio Banderas) and Jürgen Mossack (Gary Oldman). The actors, disguised as champions of tax evasion, announce that they want to make a few preliminary remarks - «We actually exist. We haven't written any of this down and, frankly, we'd have preferred it all to remain a secret». The real-life founders of Mossack Fonseca, the firm at the center of the Panama Papers scandal, won't let the film lie: they didn't appreciate the parody very much, and they're not going to let on. have sued Steven Soderbergh and Netflix for defamation..

The film is therefore inspired by the famous 2016 scandal. If you're not familiar with tax evasion, you too will probably find this story complicated. That's why the film makes it easy to understand. It breaks down the fourth wall to explain clearly and concisely what a shell company is all about. The two actors, dressed as eccentric lawyers, demonstrate their science without missing a cliché. They stroll along a beach with a cocktail and find (bad) ways to live in peace with their conscience.

But the film isn't exactly about raising awareness of the problem of tax evasion. In fact, it's hard to define it clearly. Satirical comedy? Perhaps. In any case, the whole point of the film seems to lie in the zany side of the story, taken to the extreme. Shot after shot of improbable coincidences, blinged-out characters and out-of-the-blue anecdotes. The links between the protagonists are difficult to establish. One of the most disturbing elements: Meryl Streep's character seems to be at the center of the film according to the synopsis, but disappears from the screen rather quickly. Put that way, it seems a rather short argument. And yet, it adds another layer to the veil of smoke that has settled over the viewer.

A smokescreen

Smoke? Screen? Yes, the film is about companies that are «smoke screens». So it's safe to say it's a success. Featuring an excellent cast and subjective points of view reminiscent of Vice, Adam McKay's splendid film. Not least thanks to the final punchline, with its perfectly executed monologue, a metaphor for offshore companies.

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The Laudromat a must-see film? Probably not. The emotional elevator can easily take hold of the viewer, who hesitates between applauding or switching off as the anecdotes unfold. If the project ultimately hits its target very well, it takes 1h30 of more or less incomprehension to realize it. 1h30 of dynamic shots and fine acting, but still. It's 1h30 of fog into which we willingly settle.

Write to the author: lauriane.pipoz@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Netflix