Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
In 1993, Max was 13 when he was offered his first camera. For 25 years he will not stop filming. The bunch of friends, the loves, the successes, the failures. From the 90s to the 2010s, it is the portrait of a whole generation that is emerging through its objective.
Play (2019) is a French found-footage comedy-drama that stands out for its genuine commitment to the concept: 25 years of a man's life captured through his own camera, spanning from VHS-era 1993 to the smartphone 2010s. The novelty lies in how it authentically mimics the evolving texture of home video across generations, giving it a distinctive, singular voice rarely seen in narrative fiction. The plot is episodic and slice-of-life by nature, working well as a generational portrait without being particularly structured or dramatically surprising. The acting feels naturalistic and lived-in, fitting the found-footage format, though it rarely demands exceptional range. Cinematography is intentionally lo-fi and era-appropriate, which is clever but limits conventional visual ambition. The ending is emotionally resonant but not strikingly original in its conclusions about time and friendship.