Technology and its negative implications have been a constant in science fiction cinema for pretty much as long as the genre has existed, particularly when it comes to the trope of machines rebelling against their creators. Said trope has gained additional prominence with the recent increase in discussions about the use of artificial intelligence, especially in the arts. Such topicality is at the heart of Yann Gozlan’s thriller The Residence, a mainstay on the genre circuit ever since its midnight premiere at Cannes.
The original title, Dalloway, is an obvious literary allusion (as is the name of the human protagonist, Clarissa), but also the designation of the real main character of the story: an AI that serves as a personal assistant. This happens within the housing complex of the Ludovico Foundation, a residence for professional authors suffering from writer’s block. Clarissa (Cécile De France) is one of them, and through her daily interactions with Dalloway she seems to have found inspiration again.
And yet, something is not quite right, as Clarissa soon realizes her assistant’s behavior is becoming a bit too intrusive, way outside the parameters set for their coexistence within the confines of the building (which the residents are not supposed to leave due to an ongoing health crisis). While the staff, in the person of Anne DeWinter (Anna Mouglalis), assures her everything is fine, another resident, Jim Perrier (Lars Mikkelsen), sees things differently, and Clarissa must figure out whether it’s just a paranoid conspiracy theory or something real and sinister.
It is perhaps no surprise as to where the plot of this dystopian mystery will take us, but the recognizable elements are all brought to the screen with panache, as Gozlan clearly relishes the opportunity to tell this kind of story – rooted in a novel by Tatiana De Rosnay – in 2025, when the ethics of AI are an increasingly thorny project (mere months after the film’s world premiere, articles started to appear about an entirely artificial actress, with an inevitable outcry from human thespians, their representation and the unions).
Most intriguing is his choice for what Dalloway sounds like: while AI in the real world typically relies on copying pre-existing work with a somewhat off-putting effect, its cinematic incarnations tend to have distinctive voices filled with personality (think James Spader as Ultron in the Marvel universe). The virtual protagonist of this film is no exception, as she’s portrayed by Mylène Farmer, the Canadian-born French singer whose artistry is exactly the kind of thing machines can try to replicate without ever fully capturing its essence, its soul. Through Farmer’s work, Dalloway acquires just enough charisma and spunk to make us understand why Clarissa would confide in her before realizing it may have been a mistake.
As such, what The Residence lacks in originality (somehow fitting for a film with an AI-related premise), it makes up for in execution, exploring the ramifications of a technologized world with a healthy dose of wit that contrasts nicely with the rather sterile environments that gradually take over everyone’s lives. And it’s highly unlikely anyone who writes for a living will come out of the screening thinking that kind of assistant would be a good idea. Or at least, one should hope so.
Director: Yann Gozlan
Screenwriters: Yann Gozlan, Nicolas Bouvet-Levrard, Thomas Kruithof
Cast: Mylène Farmer, Cécile De France, Anna Mouglalis, Lars Mikkelsen
Producers: Nicolas Altmayer, Eric Altmayer
Cinematography: Manu Dacosse
Production design: Thierry Flamand
Costume design: Olivier Ligen
Music: Philippe Rombi
Sound: Armance Durix
Production companies: Gaumont, Mandarin & Compagnie, Anga Productions, Panache Productions, La Compagnie Cinéma
World sales: Gaumont
Venue: Cairo International Film Festival (Midnight Screenings)
In French, English
110 minutes
