Mr. Average

Tarani Palani|taranitp@hotmail.com
the ridge transmedia
A NUSSU Publication

Picture credit: http://www.imdb.com

Jalil is your average French citizen. He is of North African decent (citizens of different ethnicity are typical in a highly globalized world, no?) and earns an average income. He shops at the local supermart, teaches at the local pre-school. He consumes products which include cereal and television shows, just like everybody else. He possesses no concentrated power of a superhero or a business tycoon.

Thanks to the accessibility to enter television game show programs nowadays, Jalil finds himself at the final round of a new kind of game show. This game show’s winner is decided on whether his/her answer matches the answer of the largest group of people. One would have to provide the same answer as the majority of the polled opinion. Questions range from “What is constantly on the mind of an eight month pregnant woman?” (Answer: When will this baby get out?!) to “What is the most used curse phrase?” (Answer: will not make it to print!)

Picture credit: http://www.cinemaparalleles.qc.ca

Jalil, wins the game show and on the same night scores a date with a beautiful blonde. What luck! Not so easy though as the lenses zoom out and reveals that the blonde beauty, Claire, is an agent for an advertising agency. Her task: to seduce Jalil and coerce him to try out prototype products. Jalil’s apartment is bugged with a camera to record every single reaction to these products (Jalil’s television is bugged to air prototype pilot series and advertisements!). His satisfaction rate is then instantly calculated based on his reaction.

Lo and behold, every product that Jalil has a high satisfaction rate for becomes a best-seller in the market; from pink lingerie, to hibiscus-apple drink, to ‘devil’ flavored toothpaste. It becomes evident that Jalil’s opinion equals the sample of 10 000 people! Away with the traditional polls, Jalil secretly becomes the major project of the advertising agency. Word of Jalil also reaches Mr. President who is running for re-election. Beneath these developments, a highly dilemmatic Claire, who holds this illusion together, breaks under the pressure and reveals the truth to Jalil.

What follows next is a pleasant little predictable story line punctuated with some rather surprising turns that includes the French election opinion polls and a story of a simple realization of what matters in life. The movie contains social commentary about a great many things. Among them; the mind boggling grip the advertising industry has on society today, leaving individuals with little or no personal liberty. In a highly homogenous world, what is genuine creativity? Or can genuine creativity truly exist?

But don’t let the heavy premise fool you into thinking that this movie is bound to be rigid and awkward to take in. One of the pleasant surprises that the movie throws your way is that it is highly digestible, entertaining and delivered as smooth as vanilla. One scene that stands out is when the President visits Jalil on Valentine’s Day. The scene is striking because it is naturally funny without trying hard, and the unfolding events keep audience attentive and not irritated or frustrated. This scene by and large, reflects the movie’s character; it is natural without trying to hard and a delight to watch.

So if your movie diet is exasperated of Hollywood blockbusters filled with aliens, predators, and political thrillers involving pharmaceutical companies; may I suggest going back to the simple basics of a feel good movie minus all the Hollywood drama?

Mr. Average opens exclusively at The PictureHouse on Thurs, 17 Jan.