Hugo Becker in “The Last Trip” by Romain Quirot – Tandem
- Two enemy brothers try to save the Earth threatened by a disturbing red moon.
- This first feature film compensates for its small budget by the talent of its director.
- Romain Quirot, keen on popular culture, reveals the beautiful nature of a filmmaker.
Is French science fiction cinema capable of beautiful things? The Last Trip, Romain Quirot’s first feature film, makes you want to cry yes with enthusiasm. We follow two enemy brothers (Hugo Becker and Paul Hamy), responsible for intervening when a red moon threatens the Earth.
“For me the red moon represents nature which revolts against human beings who do anything with their planet”, explains Romain Quirot to 20 minutes. The French filmmaker known for his short films and his commercials received a great shock when he discovered Blade runner by Ridley Scott when he was still a child.
Famous heads
This sci-fi lover made his hand with Gary Cook, futuristic novels for teens written in collaboration with Antoine Jaunin and published by Nathan. It is then The Last Voyage of the Enigmatic Paul WR (2016), an award-winning short film that served as the basis for the feature. “I wanted to stand out from the usual French productions to pay tribute to this genre that I adore”, admits Romain Quirot. On the trail of the brothers, the spectator discovers magical landscapes and meets famous faces such as Jean Reno as a learned dad, Bruno Lochet as a friendly crook or Philippe Katerine as a radio host.
Multiple references
“I was a 1980s kid raised in Star wars and I fully assume my many references, ”says the filmmaker who wanted to mix intimate and spectacular as did one of his bedside novelists, Ray Bradbury, author of Martian Chronicles. Luc Besson and the flying cars of Fifth element are not far. Jean Seberg and his boyish hairstyle in Breathless by Jean-Luc Godard are also easily identifiable in the resourceful young heroine played by the discovery Lya Oussadit- Essert. Romain Quirot has made the most of his protean culture to deliver a poetic work rich in feelings.
A beautiful nature of a filmmaker
Special effects, suspense, humor and tenderness are the well-balanced ingredients of this fresco shot hard in the Moroccan desert. The Last Trip compensates its microscopic budget by a good dose of talent and system D. Romain Quirot reveals in it a beautiful nature of scenario writer which has already been spotted by the Americans. The 30-something will now turn the books Gary Cook in series for Disney +. The start of a new journey that we are eager to discover.