Céline Roustan
Charles-Olivier is a recent graduate, with one of those degrees in a field where the job placement rate isn’t great. To make ends meet, he reluctantly accepts a job, at a pool shop, far from his ideal career path. Written and directed by Alec Pronovost, Piscine Pro (Pro Pool) is a delightful and relatable comedy, with a surprising depth in how accurately it depicts “adulting” through its humorous lens.
Getting your first job, especially when it’s not exactly what you dreamt of, let alone what you went to school for, can be a bit disheartening. But that’s part of life and in Pro Pool, Charles-Olivier is well aware of that and is willing to make the most of it. The idea of setting his film in a pool store actually comes from Pronovost’s own experience working in one as a clerk “at some point”. Are the situations and the jokes based on his own life experience? Only he can tell, but the core idea of not letting people disrespect you is definitely what makes the film end on such a strong note.
The film has the pace of a comedy, as it quickly presents a series of vignettes, which together allow us to get to know its main protagonist. With editor Louis Chevalier-Dagenais’ sharp cuts giving the film an engaging and entertaining rhythm, the comedic tone of the screenplay is both complemented and enhanced. Music also plays an important role in that aforementioned humorous vibe, as whether it’s techno, metal or pop, all the songs manage to sound out of place, perfectly echoing Charles-Olivier’s experience.
Louis Carrière as Charles-Olivier in Piscine Pro.
The plethora of characters he deals with each carry a joke, but they’re also important in building the portrayal of his experience working at that store. With most of the supporting cast not on the screen for long, and only having one line, they all still manage to deliver impressive performances and capture the true “joy” of working life in their tone. However, it’s an encounter with a former classmate that serves as a tipping point for Charles-Olivier. Compelling him to stop being passive in his own story, as the pace intensifies in the lead up to the climax, we finally witness him take back control.
As Charles-Olivier, it’s Louis Carrière’s performance that makes the film so effective and brings the humor of the screenplay to the screen. With his portrayal giving the film its nuance, while still remaining incredibly light and fun. His nonchalance is the relatable part of the short, but the contrast of seeing him in his car (listening to heavy metal) and interacting with everyone around him allows Carrière to really flesh out his character and make him easy to root for. As the tension builds, he conveys how his character is boiling up inside, while remaining compelling up until the end.
Pro Pool has had an impressive festival run during the 2022/2023 season, with notable stops at the FIFF Namur, Vancouver and many other Canadian festivals, before crossing the border and making it to the US, with Sundance and Annapolis, to only mention a few. Pronovost’s short is part of the esteemed Travelling catalog, the distributor/sales agent whose films we have featured many times (Brotherhood, Mutants…).