Médecin de campaign (2016)

Directed by: Thomas Lilti | 102 minutes | comedy, drama | Actors: François Cluzet, Marianne Denicourt, Christophe Odent, Patrick Descamps, Guy Faucher, Margaux Fabre, Julien Lucas, Yohann Goetzmann, Josée Laprun, Philippe Bertin, Géraldine Schitter, Isabelle Sadoyan, Félix Moati, Sylvie Lachat, Régis Iacono, Michel Charrel

Was everything better in the past? You would almost believe it when you watch the French feature film ‘Médecin de campagne’. In this we meet the rural doctor Jean-Pierre Werner. He is the support and refuge of the inhabitants of the countryside of the Val d’Oise, an area in northwestern France where the 21st century has not really started yet. When Jean-Pierre is told in the hospital that he has a serious illness and must take it easy, his world collapses. He thought he was irreplaceable, but now he has to accept the help of the city doctor Nathalie.

Of course Nathalie and Jean-Pierre are opposites and of course they slowly grow towards each other. That is, Nathalie is increasingly going along with her conservative colleague. For Jean-Pierre, a computer is not good for anything, nor is a modern medical center, and in fact everything should remain as it has always been. He does not care that a possible successor will have to deal with a cluttered mountain of paper files.

Anyone interested in nostalgic rural drama will find much to like in ‘Médecin de campagne’. The environment looks authentic and the French countryside behave completely according to the cliché image. François Cluzet and Marianne Denicourt do well as Jean-Pierre and Nathalie. The chemistry between the two is not optimal, but in the end the story never strays into romance. The visual style is completely arthouse, faded and wobbly, which increases the level of reality.

There is also still something missing. Although billed as a comedic drama, there is absolutely nothing to laugh about. The drama itself never digs deep, everything seems to run its course peacefully in the countryside. The mayor has an accident, a mentally handicapped person tells about his hobbies, the villagers visit the country festival and listen to a pitiful cover of ‘Hallelujah’. Meanwhile, Jean-Pierre receives bad news and he and Nathalie grow closer.

The lack of in-depth drama doesn’t kill the film, except for viewers who already don’t want much of a wee rural romance. The most remarkable ending will not be for everyone either. ‘Médecin de campagne’ is therefore a film that warms you completely or that you slowly fall asleep to.