Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Full Time Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 6, 2023

Commentator Samm Deighan makes an interesting case that the apparently workaday world of focal character Julie Roy (Laure Calamy) in this film has elements of a traditional "thriller" film, and for anyone who has ever wondered whether or not they're going to make enough money to pay that month's bills, at least the "mystery" side of a thriller should resonate. That inherent mystery component is exacerbated in this particular instance by the rather odd plot element of mass transit strikes, since Julie has to commute for hours both in the morning and evening to get from her apparently somewhat rural location to Paris. That conceit may actually also resonate for anyone on this side of the pond who has ever attempted to make train reservations for European destinations and been offered optional "strike insurance" in case workers opt not to work and mass transit becomes unavailable.

Julie is at least relatively gainfully employed in the housekeeping department of an upscale Paris hotel, but she's beset by both personal and professional problems. She's a single mother attempting to raise two small kids on her own, but consigned to a patently insane commute that sees her required to get both herself and her tots up at an ungainly 4 a.m., quickly dressed and fed and then dropped off at the home of a nearby elderly babysitter as Julie rushes to catch the train to Paris. Anyone who has spent untold hours in the cog of an eight or nine to five job that requires an additionally significant timespan to both get there and then get home will instantly sympathize with some understandably long wordless sequences with Julie simply riding the train. Until the train is no longer available, that is.

There's a kind of understated almost cinéma vérité ambience to this narrative, and as such, even if Deighan hints at some "thriller" aspects, it's probably more of a subliminal feeling of impending doom than any outright plot mayhem that helps to provide that analysis. But in fact that may be one of the more refreshing things about Full Time, since it doesn't try to muddy the waters with overwrought histrionics or undue melodrama. The film is a showcase for Laure Calamy, who was nominated for Best Actress in her native country's César Awards, and who won that category when the film screened at the Venice Film Festival in 2021.

Full Time Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Full Time is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Music Box Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. I kind of frustratingly haven't been able to track down any authoritative technical information online about this shoot, and the closing credits don't disclose anything. I'm assuming that due to all of the handheld work, this was probably digitally captured, but I have to say in terms of a nicely traditionally organic looking grain field, this is "convincing" enough that I wouldn't be surprised to find out it was shot on 35mm. That's high praise, but it also comes with a bit of a warning that the textured quality can occasionally lead to slight fuzziness, especially in some of the more wide framings where Julie is scurrying to and fro. The palette is rather cool, often graded toward teals and blues, but flesh tones ring true and the overall look is natural. Detail levels are buoyed by a persistent use of close-ups for some of the dialogue scenes.

Full Time Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Full Time features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options in the original French, though I would strongly suggest those with the appropriate equipment opt for the surround track, since it offers the really kind of cool techno inspired score by Irène Drésel more breathing room and especially a more prominent midrange and low end (the score took home the César Award). The pulsing music clearly engages the side and rear channels, but surround activity is also present in any number of the hotel scenes and also some of the commuter material. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Full Time Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Feature Audio Commentary with Critic Samm Deighan


• Interview with Director Eric Gravel (HD; 3:30) is from November 2022 at the opening of the French Film Festival UK.


• Filmmaker Q & A from the French Film Festival (HD; 40:43) is hosted by Mary Harrod, after a rather long introductory set of speeches. This has at least been helpfully authored so that there's a chapter skip to where the Q & A actually begins.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:42)


• TV Spots (HD; 1:46)


• Isolated Score is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and is accessible under the Setup Menu.


• Sound Design is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and is accessible under the Setup Menu. This is the first time to my immediate memory that a disc I've reviewed has the effects track offered separately from an isolated score track, and it's kind of interesting at least on a technical level to listen to.

The Music Box Selects edition apparently comes with a slipcover, though the copy provided to me was lacking one.

Full Time Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Anyone who has ever felt like they're a cog in a wheel being manipulated by forces beyond their control will immediately identify with Julie, and if the film's underlying labor unrest might be jokingly termed as not being limited solely to striking workers, that in and of itself gives this film a kind of valiant "proleteriat" ambience that should similarly resonate with quite a few. Calamy is superb in this role, and the Blu-ray presentation offers secure technical merits and some appealing supplements. Recommended.