Andro_T

Have you ever read a short story which seemed deprived of action but nevertheless had a profound effect on you?

"Le fils" is reminiscent of this experience. A subtle, slow-paced work of art filmed with a hand-held camera predominantly pursuing the main character whose body language is as informative as scarce amount of words uttered throughout the movie.

This seemingly simple film might be unjustly dismissed as dull but it is rewarding for those who are patient enough and bother to look beyond the surface.

"Le fils" intentionally lacks any musical embellishment. Instead, it relies on sounds that surround us on an everyday basis emphasizing a mundane reality. No wonder Dardenne brothers' path through the movie industry was effectively set out by a documentary.

It's quite unfortunate that some artists who are perfectly cast in the movie that brings them fame end up being victims of that particular memorable performance. That is, they are identified with one single character which casts a shadow over their remaining career. Great artists manage to overcome this barrier, whereas artists who are limited in characters they could effectively portray move the wrong way. Downwards. Self-destructing themselves. Audrey Tautou belongs to the latter category. She gave it all to Amelie Poulain. And even though the movies that followed "Amelie" were not bad, excitement that surrounded her eventually declined. Before being re-cast by Jean-Pierre Jeunet in "A Very Long Engagement", where Tautou portrays a dry variation of our beloved Amelie Poulain, Tautou chose to take part in a disaster called "Nowhere to Go But Up". Basically, the movie behind this review. "Nowhere to Go But Up", I dare say, is prosaic characterized by a banal script and disastrous acting. Nevertheless, it's somewhat hard to say which is worse, the tasteless movie itself or Audrey Tautou who explicitly demonstrates her numerous shortcomings as an actress.

A typical energetic work from Emir Kusturica who allures us into his bizarre world inhabited with eccentric and weird human beings. Characters as they are exposed to us seem quite unnatural but as the movie gradually absorbs one gets used to and cares about them. Kusturica harmoniously blends comedy with drama and the result is an enjoyable and entertaining movie despite being built on a dramatic theme. The landscapes in the movie are breathtaking and an offbeat music has always been an integral part in Kusturica's works. Some elements might seem repetitive from his previous movies but I would rather infer those elements as a stamp of a genius. The only thing that almost spoils a delightful experience is an actress portraying Luca's wife. I could not swallow her annoying grimaces no matter how hard I tried. Her scenes apart, the movie is a pleasure to watch.