Alexis Manenti

Chris is comfortable exercising authority in Les Misérables (2019), and Alexis Manenti makes that comfort unpleasant. We found Chris unsettling because Manenti makes his use of power seem routine. Damien Bonnard’s watchful Stéphane, still taking the measure of what he sees, gives Manenti’s certainty a useful contrast. With Djebril Zonga keeping Gwada harder to read, there is room for each actor to suggest a different attitude within the same unit without reducing the officers to types.

He co-wrote and played Chris in the short Les Misérables (2017), then shared the feature’s writing credit with director Ladj Ly and Giordano Gederlini. The ordinary exchanges are where that writing convinces us most, and where the performance has the strongest material. The lion-cub business feels arranged, while the later dramatic turns press too hard on dangers the actors have already made clear. Staying so close to the officers also leaves some residents less fully known than they deserve. The result is a film we recommend with reservations, and a stronger case for Manenti the actor than Manenti the writer.

Before Chris, there were shorts and music videos with the Kourtrajmé collective, followed by supporting film roles from Mea Culpa (2014). After Les Misérables, repeated offers of tough parts risked making his casting predictable. He has continued working with that circle: Romain Gavras directed him in Athena (2022), while Ly cast him as mayor Pierre Forges in Bâtiment 5 (2023). The occupation changes, but authority remains a recurring part of what he is asked to play.

The more encouraging move is towards parts such as educator Jayden Dorkel in Emmanuelle Nicot’s Dalva (2022), where his manner is quieter and more compassionate. Playing bus driver Milos in Le Ravissement (2023) also gave him more intimate material. He has said he would like more romantic parts. We would sooner see him given those than another uniform.