CinemaClown Bringing its whacky premise to cinematic life in a simple, amusing fashion, Denis Villeneuve's feature film debut is a well crafted, wonderfully photographed & finely performed dramedy that commences his filmmaking journey on a promising note.August 32nd on Earth tells the story of a young woman who starts questioning her mortality after surviving a near fatal car crash and concludes that having a baby is the only way to give her vacant life some meaning, and asks her best friend to help her conceive.Written & directed by Denis Villeneuve (best known for Incendies, Arrival & Blade Runner 2049), August 32nd on Earth has a lighthearted vibe to it when compared to his later works but the existential theme that's evident in nearly all his films is very much present here.Also notable is its flexible camerawork, for the director experiments with numerous techniques to give its images a distinct quality while its bright colour palette helps in keeping things afloat. Performances are a definite plus too as the film benefits from sincere inputs from its cast.On an overall scale, August 32nd on Earth isn't as refined or engrossing as Denis Villeneuve's later works but for a debut feature, it's not too shabby. There are hints of brilliance scattered here n there but nothing that really stands out. A simple, silent beginning if not a memorable one, August 32nd on Earth is where it all started for one of contemporary cinema's most gifted, acclaimed & versatile filmmakers.

dbdumonteil Simone (Pascale Bussières) is a young Canadian fashion model who is on the brink of a brilliant career. But this bright future could be thwarted due to a serious car accident of which she miraculously survives. In the aftermath, she decides to put an end to her professional life and becomes obsessed with the idea to have a baby. So, she persuades her best friend, Philippe (Alexis Martin) to act with and for her and the latter accepts provided they do it in the desert. A few days later, they are in this silent, eerie place..."Un 32 Août Sur Terre" is a curious work that will puzzle a good proportion of viewers. It reminded me a lot of "Twentynine Palms" (2003) by Bruno Dumont although this film is posterior to Denis Villeneuve's film. This was also a film set in an ominous, desert place and in which evolved two tortured characters. They had (wild) sex there and they were surrounded by an unforgiving humanity. In a way, humanity isn't also very gentle to Simone and Philippe in this film: the taxi driver jettisons them in the desert, Alexis is bludgeoned by a gang of ruffians.Simone's demeanor leaves the ground open for many interpretations: is it because she came close to death that she wants to have a baby? Does she want to discover a new way of life? And if so, where does it lead her? Apart from other many questions that will rise in the viewer's mind, Villeneuve deftly uses the desert landscapes to create majestic, entrancing images. It's even a sort of "in camera" that the director manages to create. A sensation that will come again later when the two friends are in the cramped hotel room. The sense of fantastic is palpable throughout the film: from this car accident to these extra days in August that don't exist to this irrational sequence during which the gang beat Philippe to death. In the end, Villeneuve shrouds his film with a philosophical dimension revolving around life and death.In Philippe's house, there's a cover depicting Jean Seberg who saw her career taking off thanks to Jean-Luc "God Ard"'s "A Bout De Soufflé" (1959). Godard's detractors blame him for his intellectual pretensions which clutter his works. Many viewers will also deem this work as highbrow and elusive for understandable reasons. Keep it for a day during which you are prone to reflection and thought as it's not a work for the mainstream. And for French viewers, beware! As Quebec people speak with a very pronounced accent, it's sometimes difficult to decipher their words

Eric-1226 I watched this movie wondering if I wasn't watching a sort of Seinfeldian version of movie-making - that is, "a show about nothing."It dawned on me after watching this movie that this is basically what I saw - a big bunch of nothingness. And yet the story was beautiful and disturbing and depressing and inspiring, and ultimately poetic... I guess that's what they mean by "atmospheric" as used in describing a film.The cinematography was superb - the part where the two lead characters ended up in the Utah salt desert was just so awesome. The acting was seamless, though I was handicapped by seeing it with English subtitles: since I don't know French, I fear that a good bit of the emotive force of the story, as told through the dialogue, was lost on me.Anyway, I am so glad I taped this off of late night Canadian television, I definitely plan to watch it again. It's a movie you not so much "look" at, but "feel". Watch it, feel it... you'll see.

dilcsi This wonderful and surprising movie is one of the most memorable and affecting Canadian films of the past decade. Acting is outstanding, mise-en-scene stylish and compelling. Well worth making a special effort to see...