Alexander Ross
It's not mesmerizing at first, but it's certainly one of those formidable and accomplished movies that keep on growing with you. I was slightly upset with a couple of reviews from other readers: obviously anyone is entitled to their opinions but truly how could you say that the two leads are not great? I found both Louise Bourguin and the truly handsome and elegant, classy Pierre Rochefort to be highly commanding of their roles, giving to what lies on the script and to the almost restrained direction of the excellent Nicole Garcia, all the torment, all the despair and the romantic beauty of their protagonists adding with their profoundly affecting performances a lot of insight and mystery that adds up to the apparently simple yet increasingly complex narration a whole new dimension. What would seem to be a delicate, demure portrayal of some isolated, lonely, fascinating misfits during a crucial weekend, starts to unfold romantically first and surprisingly psychologically in the second greater act, as if the storytelling of a personal sadness, the tragedy of loneliness all of a sudden would turn up as evolving, always as elegant, and controlled, as it lays by its extremely refined, and, elaborate script, as an involving mystery thriller, not only so greatly giving a quick, but extremely touching portray of working France today, but, escalating its unexpected terrific climax, so perfectly designing France's boring and corrupted, scandalously detached and unkind upper class, outlining with bitter and frantic realism the story of one of those classic, wealthy, French families depicted with horrifying coldness and real dark tones. To notice here also the extraordinary contribution given to the story from the story main antagonist, a mysterious, enigmatic, still beautifully aged mother who keeps on living while trying to forget the cruelty of her family's rigid faith, sublime in this pivotal role the always extraordinary Dominique Sanda, who's been absent from the screen for at least a decade and has come back with a fantastic if perhaps overlooked screen role. Also, Deborah Francois as the hypocrite sister designs with a virtuoso performance a role filled with conformism, and, tormenting frustrations. Altogether a wonderfully accomplished, written, photographed, produced and directed film that reminds us always of at what high standards French Cinema stands sovereign today, presenting even, what could have been a much more simple romantic drama, with deeply insightful, and, darkly mysterious tones, providing realistic social commentary, and, sublime character's development, rapidly contributing to an always tense and entertaining narrative that is also always cinematic, a it never gets sappy nor drawn or obsolete, as many American movies can so easily be today, but, manages to stay realistically appointed, avoiding melodrama, with its excellent production value, and a never less than compelling, increasingly satisfying atmosphere, which is a true gift to an emblematic tale of love and loss, while also clearly advocating a more adult way to cope while learning of letting go of what is so hostile, and, dangerously indifferent to someone's individuality, and sensibility . I deeply enjoyed, and highly recommend this wonderfully shot and brilliantly scripted and acted movie!
selena-71096
Rarely do I feel puzzled after I had finished watching a movie. It is good, bad or in between, but rarely, or actually never I felt that I have been cheated on- i felt that it has not started yet. That 1 hour+ was just a prelude, the introduction and the promised entertainment have not began yet. It starts with a one plot line that develops into another seemingly foreign to the main idea of the film. Both plot lines are unbelievably weak, unrealistic, and boring, so cliché. The acting was not good either. The child actor could not deliver the performance. Neither did the 2 leading actors. Unpleasant surprise from a usually good French cinema.
writers_reign
... and I'll happily give you ALL of Jean-Luc Godard, who has had the effrontery to bring out a new title to excite the heavily anaesthetized taste-buds of the Academic-Pseud axis. If he's lucky as many as thirty people may see it with probably fourteen successfully fighting the urge to throw up. Meanwhile the REAL filmmakers of whom Nicole Garcia is one, continue to entertain, albeit the tame reviewer manqué at films de France has, as usual, seen fit to trash it. This time around Garcia directs her own son, Pierre Rochefort and coaxes a half-decent performance out of him if anybody asks you. He plays a drifter who appears content to remain a supply teacher indefinitely despite being urged to remain in the case of at least one school. Over the Whitsun weekend he notices that one boy has not been collected. He takes him home and discovers the boy is shared between his estranged parents and the father has forgotten it is his turn at bat. At a loose end the teacher takes the boy home with him and subsequently to where the mother is working as a waitress in Montpelier. Perhaps inevitably the thee lost souls bond and when he learns that the mother owes some serious money to near-gangsters Garcia allows the story to spin off at a tangent and reveal that a man who barely has change of a match is in reality the scion of a wealthy family who, in their wisdom, had him committed several years before. Garcia brings off this volte-face as effortlessly as Billy Wilder allowed The Apartment to segue from comedy to drama in 1961. Another fine effort from a fine writer-director who is also a great actress on the side if anybody asks you.
