With Get to Work!, François Ruffin and Gilles Perret return with a documentary at the intersection of social issues and satire, where the comedy of appearances meets the harshness of daily life. This time, Ruffin takes Sarah Saldmann, a prominent TV personality and tireless advocate of the virtues of "those who get up early," on an immersion with precarious workers. For someone who has never hesitated to denounce the "lazy" in society, this stay promises to be different. Indeed, she will be in the heart of hardworking France. It could be a shock for her. But in truth, who really learns from this confrontation? And who ultimately benefits from this spectacle?
A cultural shock… or a well-orchestrated farce?
The pitch is enticing. It involves confronting the seasoned commentator with real life. Particularly, with the lives of those she vehemently criticizes. All this, from her comfortable chair as a well-paid commentator. Saldmann accepts the challenge posed by Ruffin—perhaps out of a taste for provocation, or simply because she knows the experience will guarantee her top-tier media exposure. The viewer is quickly plunged into this unlikely immersion. The charming Sarah leaves her elegant world and designer outfits. She opts for work clothes.
She also transitions from the cozy sets of CNews. She then finds herself in the dusty warehouses of Boulogne-sur-Mer. She faces Amine the deliveryman, Louisa the caregiver, and Sylvain the volunteer. All living realities far removed from her usual glamorous concerns.
Yet, this gap does not produce a true inner revolution. If the contact with these workers’ living conditions unsettles her for a moment, Saldmann’s experience remains limited to a mere week, barely a touch of authenticity in such a lavish life. The concept of immersion seems itself superficial, and the viewer wonders: what can one really understand about a life of labor and precariousness in so few days of observation? Sarah goes through this week without ever truly allowing herself to be destabilized. Certainly, she smiles, she grimaces, she plays along. But deep down, she seems to feel little empathy for these lives worn out by daily effort.
A quest for truth… or a mirror for Ruffin himself?
Ruffin’s idea, obviously, is to lead the young socialite to confront her prejudices and, who knows, to soften her usual discourse. He imagines a spectacular turnaround, a revelation that would show the flaws in the liberal discourse. However, the temperament of the commentator should not be underestimated. Even in this shifted universe, she quickly adapts. She soon regains her studio reflexes. Instead of yielding, she remains true to her role as a provocateur. She categorically refuses to be softened. She uses shocking phrases to make an impression. Throughout the process, she remains true to her convictions.
Ruffin, for his part, reveals his own illusions in this experience. By believing that the raw confrontation with precariousness would trigger a realization in his guest, he seems to forget that Saldmann is there primarily for the show, for the posture. The documentary thus becomes the theater of his own disappointed expectations, where Ruffin’s crafted eloquence is powerless against the inflexibility of someone who clearly prefers her ideological comfort to questioning.
Precarious workers, mere props in this media show
What strikes in Get to Work! is the place left to the real protagonists of precariousness. The journeys of Amine, Louisa, and Sylvain seem almost secondary, their stories relegated to mere illustrations of the point. The viewer observes their realities. However, it is through a particular staging. This staging transforms these lives into mere elements of the decor. Amine pedals, Louisa exhausts herself, Sylvain perseveres. But their stories struggle to transcend the role of props in this conventional ideological duel.
Ruffin’s goal, noble at the outset, is diluted here in the rules of the media show. The raw reality gives way to a series of sometimes theatrical, almost caricatured situations, where the essential seems less about understanding than about attracting attention. The gap between social classes appears with brutal clarity. However, the true stakes of these lives remain. They remain blurred, as if masked by the posture. Moreover, they are also obscured by the directors’ objectives.
A film that watches itself
In sum, this documentary questions: who is really the subject? Is it precarious France, these workers with invisible lives that Ruffin hopes to make visible, or simply Sarah Saldmann and himself, confronting each other for the camera? Far from an authentic immersion, Get to Work! is viewed as a satire where each scene seems designed to make an impression, but where emotion remains on the surface.
For the viewer, the interest lies not so much in the confrontation with the workers’ daily lives. It is more centered on the perpetual game between the characters. Between the usual condescension of the showgirl and Ruffin’s idealism, the contrast amuses but ultimately leaves a sense of distance. The strength of the message escapes as the scenario of the immersion reveals its own emptiness.
A reflection on the emptiness of media spectacles
In the end, what remains of this experience? It is perhaps a simple observation. In our society, image and buzz prevail. Even the most serious subjects end up serving as a media springboard. "Get to Work!" ultimately only serves to reinforce the positions of the two protagonists. It ensures renewed visibility for the lawyer and the politician. They are firmly entrenched in Google trends and front-page news.
And while we may sometimes smile at Saldmann’s jabs, or admire Ruffin’s sincere commitment, the whole thing ultimately leaves a bitter taste. This documentary changes nothing: social gaps remain as deep, precarious workers as invisible, and the show goes on. Ruffin and Saldmann emerge unscathed from this confrontation which, for the viewer, turns out to be just a game of postures. In the end, Get to Work! reminds us that, in this world of appearances, the quest for visibility often takes precedence over sincerity, and that sometimes, the only thing we confront is our own illusions.