En attendant Bojangles

En attendant Bojangles, the book as well as the film, is in my point of view a masterpiece, and yes, nothing less! The film made a particular impression on me, I came out of it completely overwhelmed. The music, the settings, the actors: everything is there to poetize Olivier Bourdeaut's novel. Maybe I didn't have enough imagination when I read the book? Taking us from laughter to tears without warning, En Attendant Bojangles portrays two lovers, Camille (Virginie Effira) and George (Romain Duris), who laugh at norms and preconceived ideas. Coloured by this "Insoutenable légèreté de l'être", this film explains the importance of preserving innocence, joy, and of always continuing to dance in a world that is far too serious and responsible. If the fantasy and imagination of Georges is beautiful and poetic, it seems that he fights against his reason for love so as to never disappoint his Camille. Yet, the two lovers are caught up with reality as Camille gradually sinks into madness. Maybe there are some lengths, especially during the scenes in the middle of the film in the psychiatric hospital? Maybe some of Camille's madness episodes are a bit exaggerated ? Or maybe it was just not what I wanted to see? In any case, all this will never change my opinion on this film which is the highlight of my year!

I think the problem here was that a) the author of the book was involved with the screenplay and b) the director/c0-screenwriter was in awe of the material/author. If ever something needed more distance from the material, this was it. Someone suggested that, unlike the book, they didn't need a narrator. This was the fatal flaw. Without the audience understanding that this was the son's retelling of the family story, his parents just came across os self-involved narcissists. The film was so desperate to capture a charming effervescent mood that everything was leaden. When the story turned dark, it was hard to know how to react. The performances were OK, if rather forced. I wanted to escape the cinema after 20 minutes.

Ok, the first twenty minutes or so of this movie did not totally grab me but I was happy to sit there and see how it panned out and I'm glad that I did - a wonderfully made and acted movie with, I would admit, a few thin patches but the final 30 or so minutes were riveting. The acting by all the cast was remarkable but in particular Virginie Efira who I hope to see more of (yes, I know that she showed us her all in the nude sequence !). A quirky tragi-comedy enjoyable in every respect. How anyone could be totally negative about this movie is beyond me but of course each to their own.

This film could easily be passed by in and American mindset but it has so many truths in it. The relationship between Camille and her son is one of the most touching on screen mother/son relationships I've ever seen. The unraveling of Camille is heartbreaking and also has so much honesty to it with mental illness and how it takes down whole families. George and Camille's story is one of the great love stories- and the music is fun, heartbreaking, and helps tell this epic tale. The cinematography is beautiful and really spot on with the era it's portraying. It's too bad more people in the US haven't yet seen it. It's a must watch.

This movie, based on a novel, tells the story of two beautiful people who decided to be the masters of their destiny, the painter of their life, filled with joy, imagination and magic. It talks to all of us by exacerbing questions that we all ask to ourselves: what is the purpose of life if not lived the way we want, if not lived joyfully ? This movie makes me want to live my life fully, by feeling more and thinking less. It depicts the story of a couple who decided to dedicate their life to love, in its purest definition, with all its flaws, but honestly. Dependence and adiction to the loved one is not hidden behind a mask in this couple. This story is so powerful and the actors are brilliant (Romain Duris and Virginie Efira are really amazing, and their child is played by a very talented boy). I don't know how this movie is in English, as I have seen the French original version. But it is definitely worth a try, just let go your assumptions of what life "should be like" before watching it, because the characters don't leave any space for anyone or anything to tell them what they should be. It is a pure beauty. Prepare your tissue box, you'll cry a lot. I genuinely think that there will be a before and a after in my life thanks to this movie. I can't wait to watch it again.