Reviews
Garden State (2004)
Nice Understated Ambiance
This movie feels right. The plot is interesting but doesn't get in the way of the film-making. In a context in which so many movies are plot-driven, it's quite refreshing to have one that isn't. In fact, had read much of the plot and knowing what would happen didn't seem to take much of the pleasure of the movie. Oh, it's not necessarily mind-bogglingly new, original, innovative, and edgy. But that doesn't seem to be the point. It's not a revolution in film-making but it's a specific style. Which can be compared to different things depending on people's own references. Much of it must have to do with Zach Braff's age and level of experience. Somehow, the movie seems relatively unhindered by so many cinematic conventions. It's not about breaking rules and some details may look like a film student's first attempt, but it's about creating something the director would like to watch. A worthy goal. There are several "ambiance movies" these days. This one is quite subtle. Muted. Understated. Yes, the music is quite good. But it's made better through presentation. Part of it is great sound editing. Part of it is the connection between music and scene. Part of it is the additional music which sets the stage for the rest of the music. Part of it is just the feel of the music... The ambiance carries through much of the acting with a few exceptions. While there's a notion of some characters being more extreme than others, contrasts aren't abrupt or extreme. Most of the important lines are carried out in a casual manner. Nothing seemed to be meant as "Oscar(tm)-grabbing look at my acting" though everyone does at least a decent job. Would have expected more "laugh out loud" humor. Many lines, scenes, and references are funny enough, but it's not meant to give you cramps from laughing too hard. Some elements seem absurd enough but become so integrated in the movie as a whole that their effect is an overall feeling of "magic dust" as opposed to a whole magical universe or some strikingly new ideas. Would watch it again. Feels good. Like listening to a song a couple of times at the opportune moment.
The Making of 'Garden State' (2004)
As Understated as the Movie
These making-of sections usually add a lot to the movie but usually don't stand out. This one had a very specific quality, quite close to that of the movie. People seemed to have enjoyed working on this movie and they all seem to have an actual personality, but not in a pseudo-fake-glamor way. And it really doesn't seem to be a personality cult despite the fact that the movie seems to be largely Zach Braff's pet project. Braff himself comes out as a normal person who worked on a movie he cared about. This idea (mentionned by Natalie Portman) that it's nice to work with young people in both cast and crew is well-taken. The crew really seems typical of "Post-Busters" who do things their own way, regardless of whether or not it's completely different from what people have done in the past.
Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot (1953)
Much More Than Simple Slapstick
It's probably easy to see this as just a relatively late occurrence of classic slapstick. In fact, the slapstick dimension is quite masterful. But there's a lot more to this movie than the comedic value of seeing someone get kicked. Part of the charm comes from the structure of the movie. Instead of a linear narrative or a series of sketches, it's a multi-dimensional portrait of different aspects of human nature. The "point" of the movie, if there is one (there's more likely a large array of "points" in this apparently simple comedy), isn't put out ostentatiously throughout the film. For instance, if Tati intended to admonish people to have some fun in life, it's not by showing how Hulot's having fun but by showing the respect fun may have with some people. There's also the purely aesthetic pleasure derived from a well-crafted movie. This one's fluid enough that nothing appears superfluous, from sun rays passing between drapes to one of Hulot's "accidental" gestures. Of course, there's a nostalgic value in watching such a movie. Not for 1950s France but for another era, however long ago, when insouciance might have been acceptable.
Lost in Translation (2003)
Yet Another One of Those...
Another pedestrian take on one man's mid-life crisis associated with a young woman's ennui.
Granted, this is a well-crafted movie. Impeccable acting, great cinematography, good pace... Effective in communicating said ennui but lacking in subtlety, depth, breadth, or interesting human characters. Nominally set in Japan to serve as an excuse for arbitrary beautiful images, but representing a strong "Western" penchant for self-absorption.
The two main characters have a conspicuously pseudo-romantic relationship ("Oh! Do they love each other? In which way?") which evacuates anything around them, including Charlotte's husband ("Is he cheating on her?") and Bob's wife (conveniently absent from the scene). Every character, including the main ones, is a one-dimensional "faire-valoir" for a fairly provincial feeling of displacement.
Altogether, an inward-looking gaze at boredom and closed-mindedness.
L'auberge espagnole (2002)
Cool Ambiance Despite Writing Issues
A lot of things to enjoy in this movie, especially by those who've lived away from their home environment for extended periods of time. Some scenes are really on target in terms of what we feel in similar situations.
The group scenes (the few of them there are) were especially strong, including those that didn't make it into the final cut but are included on the DVD. The breakfast scene (shot on the cast's first day in Barcelona) has this freshness we so rarely see in contemporary movies. It really is sad that it had to be cut because it would have set an even groovier tone for the movie as a whole.
As is the case with a number of movies, a lot happened in the editing room. Sometimes, editing saves a movie. In this case, however, the flow of the movie suffers from several continuity issues apparently caused by bad planning.
Quite likely, this set of issues could have been solved if the writing had been done over a longer period of time. Klapisch does have some strengths as a writer, linking / L'auberge/ to his two 1996 movies (/Un air de famille/ and /Chacun cherche son chat/). It seems as though, given the tight constraints of the production schedule for this movie, the writer/director merely drafted most of the material during production. Which explains some weaker aspects of the script and the need for drastic editing.
Granted, a rigid text would have taken most of the freshness away from the film. Careful use of improvisation methods would then have helped individual interactions dominate over obscure themes which end up not being explored far enough.
Altogether, a very enjoyable movie albeit not a very carefully written one.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Suspend Your Disbelief and Enjoy
As is obvious with any thriller, you need to leave your analytical mind aside while watching this movie. Not that it's specifically too far out, but it's best enjoyed for what it is: an entertaining thriller.
In fact, some things feel quite realistic in the movie. For instance, Matt Damon's character isn't unidimensional and rings quite true for what he's supposed to be. That part was quite refreshing.
The plot is perhaps not as complex as one might expect from a movie based on a novel (we learn most of what we need pretty early on), but it works out right in terms of tension and direction.
Similarities with "No Way Out" (starring Kevin Costner) have to do mostly with this type of tension. And the type of "bad guys" found in both movies.
An interesting thing about the movie is that some of the ancillary characters (such as the fishermen at the beginning) are portrayed in a somewhat subtle light (for such a manichean plot).
La beauté de Pandore (2000)
Nice Scenery. But...
This comment is meant as a warning. Maybe I wasn't in the mood for this kind of movie. Also, I didn't see "Le cour au poing" (the second part of the trilogy) but there's not supposed to be a very strong link between the three parts.
This film didn't really do it for me. The cinematography was good: lots of nice shots of Montreal (obviously, I'm biased), some good work integrating different visual paces...
And it's not that the acting or directing were bad. In fact, some of it is surprisingly convincing and comes from unlikely characters (thinking about Ariane, played by Maude Guérin). The musical selection was quite fun and appropriate. So there's a few things to enjoy through this movie.
But the storyline is, in my opinion, pretty weak even though it seems to be intended as a thought-provoking approach to deep subjects. "Eldorado" (the first part of the trilogy) probably had similar intentions but was much more subtle in this respect.
Overall, be prepared for a rather convoluted plot accompanying a few nice images and sounds. As a TV show episode, it would have been quite good. But as a movie, it's rather disappointing.
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Strong, Not Melodramatic
While the plot revolves around a rather dark topic, the dynamic among the main characters helps one appreciate what immigrants of all kinds may go through.
Thankfully, this doesn't mean pathos and melodrama but respect for diversity. Instead of a pop-sociological analysis of immigration trends in the UK, Stephen Frears observes the reality of human rapport.
What's hard to describe about this movie is that while it's not light, it's not tragic either. Emotions are contained and attitudes are rather "philosophical," in the common sense of the word.
Chiwetel Ejiofor seems to have been largely responsible for the quality of the movie. His character sets the tone, with a very strong presence that doesn't require yelling and crying to prove emotional activity. Though born in England, his noble attitude is quite representative of West Africans one can meet either in Africa or abroad.
Benedict Wong's Guo Yi helps balance the overall dramatic tension. Level-headed without being cold, both joyful and realistic, an ideal complement to what could have been rather gloomy.
Audrey Tautou was surprisingly believable as a Muslim Turk. Although she has appeared in several films recently, she doesn't seem to have been burnt and probably avoided being typecast in her fabulous Amélie.
Overall, realism and sympathy set the tone for a strong movie.
Comment ma mère accoucha de moi durant sa ménopause (2003)
Perceptive, Socio-Psychological
For one thing, it shows, once again, that good movies are being made these days. The grid seems closely linked as several of the same people collaborate on these films. But the momentum is here.
Specifically, this is an insightful portrait of a situation (perhaps specific to Quebec society) whereby strong women have been prominent enough to derail the supposedly usual pattern of male domination. As such, it takes up on the usual theme (gender relations) but develops it in a perceptive twist, truthful to at least what some people (men and women) perceive and comment about.
The psychological component comes not only from the presence of psychological therapy in the movie but also in some of the main themes. The script does avoid some of the pitfalls of too obvious pop-psy but still gives too much weight to a specific series of interpretations. Still, this component of the movie could be seen in the light of the stereotypes on psychology and New York Jews: "My son loves me so much that he pays $200 to talk about me."
Acting is of a high level of quality although not all roles are as salient. Paul Ahmarani is rapidly setting a pace for an acting style that quickly carried him in very distinct roles (wasn't he an extra in "Un crabe dans la tête" or is it my imagination?). While at times seemingly caricature, Micheline Lanctot's character is right on target. Sylvie Moreau's character as "sour" could have been expanded to carry the point across on gender roles. While she was given interesting scenes, "sour" wasn't allowed as much depth as her brother (main character "Jean-Charles"). Lucie Laurier's Cassandre has both more thickness and less depth. She's allowed some expansion but she turns out submissive, in a way. Still, Laurier's performance was quite impressive in range as opposed to her straightforward (but appropriate) role in "La grande séduction." Patrick Huard's Rasoir was probably added for comic relief. But it works, in the dynamics of the movie.
Overall the result is that of a very enjoyable film on issues that are common to a lot of people but are more likely to make intellectuals laugh. Still, at one point, we (my wife and I) couldn't handle it anymore and were laughing out loud.
Un coeur en hiver (1992)
Intense Yet Subdued
This film has had a large impact on me when I first saw it.
This is a profound film. Not necessarily in its dialog or even in its plot, but for the depth of the artistic sensibility it displays. An art film in the best sense of the word.
What most influenced me was Auteuil's character. As strange as it may sound to some people, I aspire(d) to achieve his level of honesty and levelheadedness. While some viewers probably thought most actors in this movie to be "cold," their coolness plays on an impressive array of nuances. All of this could be analysed, of course, but it might be best to let the film impregnate us.
This film may easily please those who are nostalgic of the Paris life it represents. Similarly, the film shows impressive sensibility to classical music and to the life of classical musicians. It also plays on beauty on several levels and, certainly, Emmanuelle Béart is at her best.
But, as I'd say, one of the saddest things in life must be how beautiful women can be when they cry.
La turbulence des fluides (2002)
Poetic But Too Explicit
This film has a lot of good things going for it. The cinematography is awesome if too artificial at times. Some of the takes are too clearly references to classic images but still make for a nice overall look. The acting is generally convincing and precise although a few lines drops the ambiance too abruptly.
The plot itself is interesting if taken as an artistic process. Suspension of disbelief helps greatly as it's best to immerse oneself in the overall experience rather than nitpick on details. Quite a few counterfactual errors are to be expected in such situations. In a way, this could have been a great film if some things had been taken out. At times, the viewer is spoon-fed an interpretation of the "poetry" of the film. Letting the art speak for itself would have helped greatly.
For some reason, the same is true of the previews. Simply put, they seem to say too much although it's hard to tell what effect they would have on someone who knows nothing of the movie.
Let's hope that, next time, Manon Briand will let her artistic sense free and not impose it on the viewer.
Un air si pur... (1997)
Classic Style
Some Fellini touches, theatrical acting, intense irony.
Apparently, the film is loosely adapted from Hamsun's work. The result has some literary depth but done in a slow-paced drama.
The feeling of "huis clos" is somewhat balanced by the scenery.
Luchini's character, although almost typecast upon him from his prior work, works in the setting of the film. Dussolier's tone also worked well in such a context. Other characters were quite multi-dimensional, in a portrait manner.
La grande séduction (2003)
A Fine Place to Live In
The obvious parallel, even before watching the movie, was /Waking Ned Devine (1998)/, which had this quirkiness and this notion of a small community where everyone gets involved. But /La grande illusion/ seems more playful, somewhat more magical, and, obviously, more Quebecker.
The film's Quebecness shows in several ways from the "baveuse" attitude of a Malena-looking Lucie Laurier, to the language used. Obviously, the film is meant to please those who like Quebec actors and comedians. For one thing, at least three of the people involved in the film (Benoît Brière, Bruno Blanchet, and writer/actor Ken Scott (V)) work together on /Le Plateau (2000)/ and Pouliot has been working with Brière on the well-known TV ads for Bell Canada. Still, this film clearly reaches much further than the Quebec audience.
Filmed in Harrington Harbour in the Lower North Coast region of Quebec (150km from the road), /La grande séduction/ appeals (seduces?) by the visual impact of the setting. Yet, that aspect is played fairly low in the register, leaving much to the creative plot and outstanding acting.
While there are a few touching moments, the movie avoided most of the pitfalls of sentimentality. The humour is intense (lots of laughter and lap-slapping in the audience) but subtle, playing on personalities instead of witty puns or physical humour. Even the most obvious jokes pan out with the collaboration of watchers. This movie makes one long for these enchanted places that only exist in good movies and on the minds of movie-goers.
Une jeune fille à la fenêtre (2001)
Enjoyable, Could Have Been Great...
As it stands, the movie's strength are more in the costumes and some of the Quebec city imagery. Several elements showed potential but weren't used to their fullest. For instance, using the symbolic use of horse imagery helped the film achieve some poetic effect but the fact that its meaning is described almost explicitly at the beginning of the movie downplays this effect.
Acting is quite uneven both in "quality" and in style. Some of this makes sense and could have been exploited, but it does bring the movie down, at times. Same with some of the cinematography. Some of the techniques used would have made more sense contextualized and only feel "maladroit" as they are.
Still, the movie is enjoyable in its portrayal of the artistic community of that era. As a Montrealer, it did make me want to go to Quebec city more often. And there are some very funny moments.
Wasabi (2001)
Fun French-Style Action Comedy
Obviously, this is not a very intelligent film. But as an action comedy, it provides for nice mindless entertainment. Reno's role seems perfect for him as his wit, his presence and his cool are put to good use. Some parts of the movie resemble some old French comedies (even some faint Louis de Funès) while others are more classic action comedy like Bad Boys or True Lies. The gratuitous violence is rather intense and might shock some people. But those who can bear it and can suspend their disbelief long enough are in for a treat.
Mùa hè chieu thang dung (2000)
It made my day...
Yes, of course, there's the beauty of it. And the pace. And the artfulness. And the calm, soothing, filling feel of it. And then there are noticeable clichés, the Lou Reed tracks, the naive love intrigues... But I can already tell it will be one of my favorite movies. To put it simply, it gives me exactly what I want in any art form. Not an intricate story. Not a series of slides. Not a lecture. Just something I can change my mood to. When will non-Asian filmmakers start to really make film that are not completely plot-driven? As this film shows, it doesn't even have to be based on a "Nouveau Roman" style of writing.
Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain (2001)
Excellent Feel-Good Movie, French Style
This movie is a rare thing. There's almost nobody saying anything bad about it. Not only does it do wonders as a feel-good movie but it bears Jeunet's signature of quality film-making. Original, charming, funny, witty, smart, interesting, exciting, magical...