heuillard

This feature tracks Charles De Gaulle's career from 1939 to 1959, mixing fiction and archives. It gives an overall interpretation of his personality, his political tricks, and of his intimacy, especially with his family (wife and children). On obviously a not easy subject, Bernard Stora managed to make a credible feature. Bernard Farcy, not trying to imitate the "great man", gives an honest acting. But, strangely enough, the best characters (and very close to the originals) are in the second roles, especially Churchill and Malraux. On the negative side, the choice of shooting fiction on video (HD) does not seem the best choice, especially because it does not match with archive footage; besides, fiction images are very ugly compared to archive images.

The story takes place in Saigon, at the time of erring souls feast. A small boy catches a bird in the fields, and a cab driver goes out with the carp of Mr Chu ... Real shooting and several animation techniques are mixed in this short feature, without giving the feeling of a technical exercise. All these tools are to serve an atmosphere rather than the story (which is difficult to follow anyway) and this is particularly well made. I felt the temperature, the flavors, of Vietnam as perhaps never before (excepted in "L'odeur de la Papaye Verte"), and the music itself sticks perfectly with the beautiful and poetic images. This first feature is really impressive; it would be interesting to have a long feature shot that way.

It is one of the best features I watched at Cannes Festival. Amid a selection of very violent movies, Miranda's film appeared as an oasis in the desert, full of freshness, humor, even romanticism and poetry. It is a film full of light, full of lightness, and which is very optimistic about life. In a way, the film atmosphere is close to the french "new wave" of the 60's (Miranda is a fan of Agnes Varda). Curiously (for a description of US households), television is absent, as if internet or other medias had replaced it. Shot in HD, the movie is also a thinking about digital world and the future of cinema. The direction of actors (herself included) is at the top; the children are very funny, and so realistic. I reckon this movie could even have a great success in theaters in Europe. The "Camera d'Or" (best first movie) it got is well deserved.