Full Time is a compelling and overwhelming movie about being a committed parent coping with continuous stress. The realistic story has empathy and meaning.  There is no easy way out of the hard moments in Full Time. The film takes place in France and the focus is on a mother, Julie Roy (played by Laure Calamy). Julie has two young children and works as a lead housekeeper at a five-star hotel in Paris. She is always on the go and working hard to keep a roof over their heads. She never seems to get a break due to overdue bills, overdrafts, and home maintenance issues. The national transit strikes in Paris only add to Julie’s problems.

In Full Time, the strikes cause Julie to hit her breaking point. The opening of the film starts with Julie’s heavy breathing as she wakes up to start her day. From that point on, the audience will learn why her breathing is so heavy. She is pushing her limits to work, make changes, but also dealing with the constant trial and error that surrounds her life. I was astounded by the poetic energy of the stressors that kept coming at Julie because they were so real and spellbinding.

As the strikes continue, the stress and frustrations mount. Her boss, Sylvie (played by Anne Suarez), starts to get annoyed and concerned with Julie’s behavior as she is at the end of her fuse. She is showing up late and is not on her A game. Julie exclaims, “They can’t fire me for being late during a strike!”  Julie struggles to keep her personal problems at home which results in bringing her problems to work due to her lack of sleep and little support with her children.

Julie has a chance for a better job. However, her underlying problems and the strikes impact her chances of being hired and even her ability to display professionalism. The strikes create exhausting episodes for Julie, but that does not stop her from giving every opportunity a shot. Julie is a go-getter on many levels. She is beyond Full Time given how much she continues the effort for her children and herself.

Full Time gives us hope that Julie has a chance to succeed. for Julie. The issues she faces are detrimental and vivid.  The film is in-depth and realistic in terms of portraying parenting responsibilities. It reminded me how people do what they do best in good times and bad for the ones they love.

Julie loves her children deeply. But can she find more support? Can she find a better job? Will the national transit strikes ever end? Full Time is a graphic portrait of what life can be like for a single parent. The movie makes it clear that it is no picnic for any parent.

Full Time is a nerve-wracking experience. Julie faces much frustration in her aggravating ride as a single mom. The consistency of the pressures in Full Time are mind-boggling. Julie finds herself at risk of losing her current job. She also has anxiety worrying if she will be hired elsewhere or not. Deep down Julie is a good mom and a wonderful person, but she keeps getting thrown curveballs. Full Time is a meaningful film that shows what someone can do when they strive for a better life. Four stars.