Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: ALBATROS (DRIFT AWAY)[Berlinale 2021 - Virtual]

The path of acceptance can be one of journey but also one of truth. Every character deals with pain and choice differently according to their background as well as geography. In "Albatros (Drift Away)" [Competition], the path is one of idealism versus response. The movie follows a man doing his job as a police officer in a seaside town. The beginning establishes the different crimes and accidents that can happen, just as part of life. This cop tries to protect his community and make the right decisions. But along his path something goes wrong. It is a portrait of a man with no shortcomings simply having to confront something he wasn't ready for when he makes a simple mistake (that was still inherently his fault). What is interesting about the film is how it transforms in a way about halfway through and becomes more existential in many ways. Jérémie Renier plays this man with a sense of both remorse and a sense of unmooring. But seeing someone suffering simply for doing his job despite a mistake is an interesting one. The progression is played as matter-of-fact but it still recognizes that life goes on. The marina and sailing motifs that populate the film speaks to two different meanings at play, both in showing the idyllic but also highlighting the change to the French economy in many ways (not unlike America) where farmers are getting the short end of the stick. This is handled in a subtle yet overt way that resonates simply because it mirrors the voyage of the main character. Giving any more away would ruin the flashpoint of the story. "Drift Away" is poignant and simple without being flashy about the story is trying to tell. B

By Tim Wassberg