The film about a millionaire who fell into poverty is a classic story, but there are not many exciting stories nowadays. Spoiled Brats is a French satirical comedy-drama film directed by Nicolas Cuche. The film stars local actresses, Gerard Jugnot, Camille Loe, Louka Meliava, and Artus. This film was released in September last year but is now trending again on the Netflix streaming platform.
Francis Bartek (Jugnot) is a wealthy businessman in Monaco. Their three children, Stella (Loe), Alexandre (Meliava), and Phillippe (Artus), live in the wealth of their father with a glamorous life without trying to earn their own money. Fed up with the behaviour of the three, Francis made a small scenario to deter them. His property was frozen, and he now has no money. The father took his three children to Marseille to hide from the authorities. They live in the old run-down house belonging to their father and can’t help but work to be able to eat.
This cliché but the exciting premise is now rarely found, except in romantic comedies. The plot, which collides with the life of the rich and suddenly falls into poverty, is undoubtedly what makes the story interesting. The story that promised an entertaining plot was only able to last up to half the duration, and this only focused on Stella and Phillippe. Stella, who was forced to work as a waitress, and Phillipe, who worked as a pedicab driver, couldn’t help but feel the bitter taste of life. But not for Alexandre, who hasn’t learned much from this situation.
The plotline changes direction towards the third act, making everything full of impressions disappear. The storyline becomes inconsistent and even seems to jump because the focus after that is on the father. The touching moments experienced by Stella and Phillippe are lost, which is what we have been waiting for. Their maturation process is like being thrown away without any significant change. It would be sweet if there were a moment when both of them missed what they had done. The ending can be guessed by anyone and is not that touching.
Spoiled Brats is a satirical comedy-drama with some touching and entertaining moments in the early half before sagging towards the end. The excellent acting from the cast plus the exotic location supports the story, although it can’t make up for the story’s weakness. Overall, Spoiled Brats feels a half baked by not being able to give a meaningful slap to convey its noble message. Money can buy happiness or take away suffering in life, but it is the process of struggling to achieve it, and the people we love and care about that give our life more meaning.
