Figaro-6

Robert Lepage takes an intriguing, clever premise and then steadfastly refuses to develop it for what seems a very long time, finally offering a resolution that follows the path of least interest. I cannot think of any element of this movie that has not been done better elsewhere, or a single compelling reason to see this film instead of any other. Take special pains to avoid this movie if you have seen one or more of: Dark City, Lost Highway, Groundhog Day, or Brain Dead (the Bill Pullman / Bill Paxton one). If you have it will only frustrate you to see such similar ideas, done so well elsewhere, done so poorly here. If you have not seen those movies, see them instead of this one. If you want to see a good Tom McCamus movie, rent "I Love a Man in Uniform". If you want a good Tilda Swinton movie, rent "Orlando". If you're interested in Robert Lepage, see any other Robert Lepage movie (but especially "Le Confessional"). If you want a good Genie-nominated movie, see "Maelstrom" or "waydowntown" or "New Waterford Girl".

Lepage treats his ultimately flimsy story with the naive glee of someone who has never read any science fiction, ever, or even seen a decent Star Trek episode. Like many previous non-SF artists who have done SF, they believe the sheer novelty of an odd premise can sustain an entire narrative while they concentrate on peripheral things like clever scene changes and convincing their actors to behave like zombies. This makes for a dreary, self-important film made only worse by its utter lack of necessity. The poster's nice, though.

I was glad to have seen this film, since it showed me a part of the world that I have never seen in such detail before. And despite having no first-hand knowledge of the country, I nonetheless felt there was an authenticity and sincerity about the film that appealed to me. I have heard that there are some inaccurate details, but "West Beyrouth" does not presume to explain any of the larger historical or political events. Rather, it wishes to communicate something of the experience of living in a world being torn apart by forces that can seem nearly incomprehensible by those caught between them. And in that goal, I felt the film enjoyed some success.

I was interested by all the characters as they were introduced, but as the film progresses most of them wind up going in circles, repeating themselves, or just standing idly by. The story, which starts out effectively, loses its narrative drive, and things muddle ahead until eventually the movie is over. I thought it was a shame that a film that so vividly evoked a place and time, could not offer a story of similar strength.

The performances are good, though, and there is some fine music by Stewart Copeland as well. "West Beyrouth" may function better as a glimpse into history than as an engrossing cinematic work, but I still felt it to be worthwhile viewing.

This is a remarkable film in its understated and sensitive treatment of its subject matter, that could too easily have become sensationalistic in the wrong hands. The Polish brothers were reluctant to let anyone else direct their film, and it seems highly unlikely that anybody else would have produced anything similar (even if it were as good).

The screenplay, performances, cinematography, and music are all very effective and work together to create a vivid character for this story that is refreshingly distinct and unusual, without straying into the bizarre or outlandish. (Not that I mind bizarre and outlandish, mind you, but it wouldn't have suited this film.)

According to their web site the Polish brothers have two other screenplays titled after American cities; I'm looking forward to seeing those as well. Maybe they can even be convinced to write one called "Moosejaw Saskatchewan" some day.