L'outremangeur

Like all the other reviewers here I came across this film by accident on TV. I have to admit considering that obesity is a becoming a pandemic problem in Western countries it is surprising not more films are made about it and it's underlying problems. I think that was what I really loved about this film, it had a contemporary topic even if they used the story arc of the Beauty and the Beast fairytale. This a sophisticated and genuine film and even if it doesn't move you to tears it will definitely touch you.

Tip: Keep watching after credits, there is an extra scene. I don't really see the purpose of this scene but you can watch it for yourself and decide.

I am an admitted sucker for good French cinema, and this movie works on so many levels, I will be annoying friends for months praising this film's attributes.

This movie works as a murder mystery, love story, and character study. Eric Cantona (he's a sports star of some sort over there) is amazingly dignified and repressed as the police inspector with the magic touch, coupled with his dysfunctional eating habits and personal life. Rachida Brakni (fresh off her glorious performance in "Chaos"), lights up the screen as the potential killer/object of the commissioner's desires. The plot weaves in and out with skill, and the beautiful port of Marseilles should get equal billing along with the lead actors, used in much the same way as in the films of Robert Guédiguian.

This film should (if justice prevails) get distribution by Miramax/Sony Classics or someone with a half a brain, because for 90 short minutes, an amazing web is weaved. This is a great film, and American audiences should not be deprived of its charms.

See this once, and you will want to see it again.

Art Blose

I managed, like the review above, to stumble upon this movie by accident. Basically it was on after another movie I was watching..

Now to the movie.

I can see people will either love or hate this movie, depending on your own experiences and loves. Its basically about a incredibly obese police officer coming to terms with his own mortality (he is given a year to live at the start of the movie). It has other bits and pieces in the plot (love, mystery etc), but these are not the central ideal of the movie.

I found myself crying in many parts of this movie, for myself being fat (and have been my entire life... of course not to the degree of the main actor, but to a degree which has caused bullying my entire life) this story hits very close to home. And some of the subtle emotional behind the scene's stuff here definitely adds to the mood.

Anyone who has had any sort of eating disorder (over or under eating whatever) will recognise things in this movie, and will more then likely be in tears by the first 30 minutes of the movie.

I hope this has been helpful.

I came to watch this only because it was on TV while I was sick and had absolutely nothing else to do. I did not know in advance that Eric Cantona (former soccer star of Manchester United and French national team fame) was in this. I had heard that he's making art films or somesuch nowadays, but thought his acting career couldn't consist of much more than cameos to attract attention.

This prejudice turned out to be ill-advised; Cantona is actually quite solid in this film playing an obsessively eating cop. Rachida Brakni is also a nice choice for Elsa, she's refreshingly different femme fatale. The rest of the cast is nothing special, but they suffice. Sadly the story is a bit too insipid and the characters too far stretched to really be emotionally effective.

I especially enjoyed the score of this movie -- the refined and beautiful music really elevates the film. Also the settings and cinematography are professional work. An ambitious movie, which falls a bit short but has enough artistic quality to be enjoyable.