Acclaimed travel writer/adventurer Sylvain Tesson had a near-crippling fall in 2014, and wrote a novel about his stubborn post-accident walk across France, as a liberating, soul-discovering journey. Based on his 2016 novel, filmmaker Denis Imbert has converted the story to the screen with On the Wandering Paths. I had adored The Velvet Queen, a doco about Tesson’s quest to see a snow leopard, so I was most intrigued by this new film. It turns out to be a modestly inspiring paean to the joys of lengthy walking (something I’ve done myself), worth seeing if the basic tale and its themes appeal. Jean Dujardin is wonderful in the leading role, understated and intense, and the sweeping camerawork will attract many. All that said, the narrative of On the Wandering Paths is mild and the pace slow, so be warned.
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