septimus_millenicom

Lily James has an old-fashioned movie-star turn in the Italian film _Finally Dawn_ directed by Saverio Costanzo. She plays a 1950s Hollywood diva shooting a film in Rome about a Cleopatra knock-off, with huge movie sets, over-wrought make-up, and intentionally bad English dialogue (to be dubbed into Italian later so no one probably cares). Her character Josephine is almost as cruel and capricious as the fictional Egyptian Queen, bestowing favors on Mimosa (Rebecca Antonaci) on her first day as a movie extra only to make her night a living hell afterwards.

It is by far the best role I've seen Lily James in. She is not the technically perfect actors' actor like Jodie Comer is.

_Finally Dawn_ perhaps lets her channel her own inner diva/messy-personal-life persona?

Unfortunately, her presence is so powerful it leaves a visible vacuum when she is off-screen, which is more than half the time.

The protagonist is really Mimosa. The young Antonaci channels a bit of Lea Seydoux in _Farewell My Queen_, playing off James' flamboyance, mostly doing reaction shots, being silent, acting with her expressive eyes. The character lacks Seydoux's petulance and flashes of anger that would make her more three-dimensional, but the actress is one to watch for the future. Willem Dafoe has an interesting role as Josephine's enabler, while Alba Rohrwacher plays the Italian movie idol that Mimosa improbably meets at a decadent party reminiscent of the far inferior _Babylon_ by Damien Chazelle.

The magic realism ending is a bit too obvious, and the well-structured screenplay could have used more depth. Still, the empty streets of Rome shimmer, the surface beauty of this Venice Film Festival entry is undeniable, and it has been a while since I have seen such an enjoyable Italian film.

Andre Techine is one of my favorite directors, and _Wild Reeds_ is perhaps his most well-known film. But I have always been ambivalent.

It is a film about four teenagers coming of age in rural France at the time of Algeria gaining its independence -- an event that looms large in their young lives. Henri is an angry displaced French Algerian at odds with his teacher Ms. Alvarez (a terrific Michele Moretti), who sympathizes with the communists.

She refuses to help Serge's enlisted brother desert from the army, and feels responsible for his subsequent death. Gael is the sensitive one conflicted about his sexuality.

The teacher's precocious daughter Maite (Elodie Bouchez), a pricky but fiercely independent and intelligent girl, ties their fate together, they enjoy a last memorable outing together as they await the results of their pivotal high school final exam.

My main problem is that these teenagers (Henri is actually 21) are so ridiculously articulate about their feelings, *and* sufficiently vulnerable to talk about their worst fears at length (even the two who are not at all bookish). At this young age they seem to know exactly who they are, or at least what they don't know. Teenagers who are so smart tend to have an attitude about them (the best example might be those in Neil Jordan's _The Miracle_). They also tend to be defensive. The acting strikes me as stiff, except for Bouchez's, whose sensitivity transcends her somewhat improbably dialogue. Maybe this is not a fair metric, but none of the three male leads went on to long careers as actors.

I have misremembered that _The Dreamlife of Angels_ was Bouchez's breakout role; in fact this film was released fully four years before the Erick Zonca. She is stunning here, and has not stopped doing top notch work since (_In Safe Hands_, "Aurore" ...) Bouchez has never been my favorite actress for some reason, but I cannot imagine _Wild Reeds_ without her.

There are not enough superlatives to describe Anais Demoustier's performance in _Along Came Love_, which follows her character's quest for contentedness over 20 years. The top-billed actress wasn't even nominated for any prize! Perhaps the French are taking her excellence for granted. In the US we seldom get her films released on the big screen, apart from Quentin Dupieux's (broad comedy is not the best use of her talent).

Fortunately the Amazon France Channel is Demoustier Central, featuring half a dozen of her best work.

Demoustier can go big with her performances, like in _Anais in Love_. But usually she keeps her expressiveness subtle, compact.

The _Along Came Love_ screenplay by veteran writer Gilles Taurand, frequent collaborator of Jacquot, Techine, and Honore, gifts her a uniquely complex character to run away with. Madeleine is a fallen woman, not very likeable, perhaps a touch selfish.

She loves men too much; after the war she gets a second chance at life by marrying a wealthy student Francois (Vincent Lacoste) who gives up his aspirations for her. Lacoste once again plays the romantic lead to an older leading lady. It probably isn't a spoiler to say that Francois has had relationship with men, which further complicates their marriage.

Lacoste is good but the film is 99% about the conflicting emotions being played out on Demoustier's mercurial face. Scene after scene she puts on a masterclass in fluidity and precision.

Her craft is so pure and true, it brings tears to your eyes. The film ends with a bitter-sweet grace note that harkens back to her first scene. You can tell, just by looking at her, that Madeleine appreciates the lovely, tragic symmetry as much as the audience.

I am not a huge fan of director Katell Quillévéré's previous film _Heal the Living_. Here she lets the camera follow Demoustier and feed on her energy, and it works beautifully. The period set design and camera work are excellent too.

The cinematographer isn't listed on imdb ... I'll have to rewatch the film to find out who shot it.