La caméra de Claire

La caméra de Claire (2017) was shown in the U.S. with the translated title Claire's Camera. It was written and directed by by the Korean filmmaker Sang-soo Hong. The great French Actor Isabelle Huppert plays Claire, who is on vacation in Cannes. Kim Manhee portrays Min-hee Kim, a young sales assistant for a Korean film distributor. Kim Manhee is director Sang-soo Hong's muse.

The film begins with Min-hee being fired for no apparent reason. Her boss tells her, "I no longer consider you honest." However, she won't tell Min-Hee why she is being fired.

Min-hee, with no job, is at liberty in beautiful Cannes, but, naturally, she is confused and depressed. She meets Claire, who is sunny and optimistic. Claire has a small Polaroid-style camera, with which she takes pictures of people she meets. People are typically happy to have been asked. (If Isabelle Huppert wanted to take your picture, wouldn't you be happy?)

The basic plot of the film is the friendship between the two women as they set about trying to discover why Min-Hee was fired without apparent cause. It's an interesting concept, and it works well in this film.

We saw this movie in its Rochester Premiere at the wonderful Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum. It has an anemic IMDb rating of 6.6. It's not a must-see film, but it's much better than that. It will work well on the small scree.