In film, when young, beautiful, idealistic strangers meet on a train, the result is Before Sunrise: a graceful ballet of flirtation, poetic conversations, meaningful glances and emotive goodbyes. When middle-aged, slightly rumpled, emotionally damaged klutzes meet on a train, the result is Just a Sigh: a flawed, often dull but occasionally compelling stumble through awkward silences, mid-level stalking, inappropriate encounters and cringe-inducing one-liners.
Emmanuelle Devos plays Alix, an absentminded actress starring in The Lady From The Sea, Ibsen’s play about a woman who finds inexplicable passion with a travelling stranger.
In Jerome Bonnell’s tale, this stranger is the enigmatic Douglas (Gabriel Byrne), who Alix sees on a train and follows to a funeral. As their day-long dalliance unfolds in almost real time, the characters serve as foils to one another; Byrne exudes a calm, melancholic dignity, while Devos is all idealistic, flustered innocence. Their life circumstances further highlight their differences: while father of four Douglas is navigating a deep loss, Alix struggles just to budget her loose change and catch her train. But Alix’s relationship with her unseen boyfriend (voiced by Denis Menichot) has taken an unexpected turn, and when revealed, Alix’s sense of displacement and subconscious desire for a passion-fuelled but impermanent fling is put into perspective.
The performances are solid, though Byrne suffers from having to deliver his supposedly meaningful lines in clunky-sounding English. Bonnell intriguingly - and often unsuccessfully - negotiates tonal shifts, exploring both deep emotion and the innate ridiculousness and awkwardness of everyday life. Emotional scenes accompanied by a self-consciously important classical score are interrupted by the hilarious maladroitness of over-eager acquaintances (Gilles Privat, a highlight.)
Though the character’s clumsy interactions can feel dull and uncomfortable, they also articulate an endearing realism.