Meanwhile (1998 film)

The story jumps around a greasy spoon's several patrons and two waitresses, oblivious to a bomb under one of the tables, the timer set for five minutes.

In a Montréal restaurant, two waitresses (Carmen Ferland and Jocelyne Zucco) serve dishes, chatting between themselves about a love interest, and with the customers.

A portly man (Ronald Houle [fr]) orders a second dish which he does not eat, enjoying the smell and his sense of victory for avoiding fat and cholesterol.

Outside the café a lovers' quarrel is going on between a young man and woman (David Boutin and Rachel Fontaine [fr]).

A man in a jacket (Frank Schorpion [fr]) sits at a reserved table, and sticks a dynamite time bomb underneath it.

Inside, a mafioso receives a phone call, swears in frustration, and both men leave without ordering.

Inside, the portly man enjoys the older lady's leftovers, Josée-Marguerite meets her mother's boyfriend, the waitresses finally have time to catch up on each other's news, and the young couple kiss passionately.

Extras who appear in the film include Jonathan Ward, Anick Pélisson, Pierre Lalonde, Catherine Bigacoett, Silvain D'Auteuil, Melissa Dion, Esther Hardy, Virginie Lajeunesse, and Marilou Nadeau.

Huguette Roberge points out that the main characters in Meanwhile are involved in one kind of love story or another, whether young, old, or in the midst of a crisis.

[1] In addition to Rudy Toussain's incidental music, there is a song that plays with the end credits, Diane Dufresne's "J'ai rencontré l'homme de ma vie" (composed by François Cousineau [fr] with lyrics by Luc Plamondon), from Dufresne's second studio album Tiens-toé ben j'arrive!

'[3] Très applaudi à Rouyn-Noranda, et bientôt servi également en salle à Montréal et Laval en complément de programme de Paparazzi d'Alain Berberian, Pendant ce temps... de la réalisatrice et actrice Ghyslaine Côté, est un palpitant « suspense humoristique », qui garde le spectateur en haleine durant 13 minutes.

Dans un casse-croûte, se croisent plusieurs histoires d'amour débutantes, en crise, ou tardives, alors qu'un compte a rebours a commencé et que tout risque de sauter d'un moment à l'autre...

[2] In addition to festivals, Meanwhile was shown in commercial theatres in cities like Montreal and Laval, Quebec accompanying a main feature (Alain Berbérian's Paparazzi),[2] and was broadcast on Canadian television[4] (TV Quatre Saisons and TV5 in 1999).