Review: Mensonges et trahisons et plus si affinités... / The Story of My Life (2004)

Raphaël (Edouard Baer) is an anonymous ghost writer of celebrity autobiographies who pretends to be satisfied with his lot. He dates architect Muriel (Marie-Josée Croze), whose forthright manner starts to make him confront his unfulfilled dreams. When he is commissioned to write the autobiography of boorish footballer Kevin (Clovis Cornillac), he discovers that the woman he fancied in university, Claire (Alice Taglioni), is Kevin's girlfriend, and he decides to worm his way into her heart.

Writer-director Laurent Tirard and co-writer Grégoire Vigneron stay well within the path well-travelled by many other urban romantic comedies: boy meets girl, they break up, then they make up. What's entertaining is the journey and the sights along the way. The good and funny bits comes from establishing the characters, and Raphaël and Muriel's courtship; Edouard Baer's makes Raphaël an amiable, slightly repressed introvert who is easy to relate to, while Marie-Josée Croze is great as the more direct and perky Muriel. The main plot where Raphaël (ineptly) tries to seduce Claire is a little offputting and underdeveloped, and the side plots involving Raphaël's mates, journalist Jeff (Eric Berger) and banker Max (Jean-Michel Lahmi), don't go very far and are resolved a bit abruptly.

Crowd pleasing, uncluttered romantic comedy.

French with English subtitles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review: La Chambre des Morts / Melody's Smile (2007)

In the port city of Dunkirk, a young blind girl is kidnapped. When her father tries to pay the ransom, he is accidentally killed and two retrenched workers end up with the ransom money. Then another girl, a diabetic, is abducted. Without insulin, she would die within a few days.

Among the police assigned to the case is a junior profiler, Lucie Hennebelle (Mélanie Laurent). Her investigation leads her to an earlier crime scene in the local zoo, where animals have been stolen and mutilated by someone related to the kidnappings. As she constructs a profile of the kidnappers, we see a possible link between the current case and an earlier traumatic event in her life.

This French thriller is very similar in look to Jonathan Demme's 'The Silence of the Lambs' (trivia: a copy of the book is visible briefly in Lucie's apartment), with a lot of shots of dark corridors in run-down mansions and some slightly nauseating scenes involving taxidermy and decomposing bodies. For most of its running time, the film maintains a realistic tone but as the bodies pile up near the end, the conclusion becomes rather predictable.

French with English subtitles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review: La tourneuse de pages / The Page Turner (2006)

One summer, a young work experience student, Mélanie (Déborah François), becomes a live-in baby sitter for Tristan, son of wealthy lawyer Jean (Pascal Greggory). Jean's wife, Ariane (Catherine Frot), a pianist for a small ensemble, takes a liking to Mélanie. When Ariane discovers that Mélanie has music training, she employs Mélanie to be her page turner during her performances. What the family doesn't know is that the innocent-looking Mélanie has revenge on her mind.

This drama from writer-director Denis Dercourt and co-writer Jacques Sotty is about revenge as a dish best served cold. For a while, it is somewhat fascinating to watch Mélanie exploiting Ariane's and Tristan's weaknesses to wreak her revenge on an event that happened many years ago. However, the premise is very far-fetched, and without any elaboration on Mélanie's character, it is hard to accept that anyone, let alone a teenager, could conceive or execute such an elaborate and complete plan.

French with English subtitles.

2 out of 5 stars.

Review: À la folie... pas du tout / He loves me ... he loves me not (2002)

A young art student, Angélique (Audrey Tautou) becomes infatuated with the Loïc (Samuel Le Bihan), a respected cardiologist, who is married to Rachel (Isabelle Carré). When Loïc does not reciprocate (he is barely aware of her), Angélique plots increasingly desperate and violent ways to separate him from his wife.
From watching recent French films, you might think that erotomania, a delusional belief that another person is in love with you, is a common disease. Coincidentally, one of the stars of this film, Isabelle Carré, goes on to play the main role in a 2007 film, Anna M. about a woman who becomes infatuated with a doctor. Doctors can be so lucky!
What's interesting about this film is casting the wide-eyed Audrey Tautou as the delusional Angélique; she looks so innocent and trusting that you can imagine people believing her point of view. The other interesting aspect is to tell the story from both Angélique's and Loïc's points of view, allowing the viewer to fill in the gaps, left deliberately by writers Laetitia Colombani and Caroline Thivelin, in each other's story. Other than that, the story follows a predictable arc.
French with English sub-titles.
3 out of 5 stars.

Review: Ils se marièrent et eurent beaucoup d'enfants / ...And They Lived Happily Ever After (2004)

Does romance end with marriage and children? Three friends, Vincent (Yvan Attal), Georges (Alain Chabat) and Fred (Alain Cohen) ponder the issues. Fred is single and has no problems picking up women, much to the envy of his friends, who are both married. Georges and Nathalie (Emmanuelle Seigner) bicker constantly, while Vincent and Gabrielle (Charlotte Gainsbourg) are drifting apart.

In Yvan Attal's second film about relationships, the characters are recognizably middle-class and a mid-life stage, and it is easy to let yourself get carried away with their ups and downs. There's an unexpected funny and passionate scene when Vincent and Gabrielle rediscover romance, and Johnny Depp makes a long cameo appearance as an attractive stranger.

French with English subtitles

3 out of 5 stars.

Review: Anna M. (2007)

A lonely book restorer, Anna M. (Isabelle Carré), becomes infatuated with her doctor, Dr André Zenevsky (Gilbert Melki), and begins to stalk him.

Writer-director Michael Spinosa chronicles dispassionately Anna's increasingly psychotic and violent behaviour as she tries to attract Zanevsky's attention. The tone of the film is realistic and avoids the over-the-top murderous obsession of 'Fatal Attraction', though dog lovers and parents of young children may feel a little uneasy with some of the scenes. Isabelle Carré gives a believable performance as the troubled Anna.

A rather frustrating film because we are not given any clues as to the cause of Anna's condition (there is a hint that it is not the first time) and Spinosa seems content to just show us the consequences of her actions.

French with English subtitles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review: La Demoiselle d'honneur / The Bridesmaid (2004)

During Sophie Tardieu's (Solène Bouton) wedding, her brother Philippe (Benoît Magimel) becomes besotted with one of her bridesmaids, the exotic Senta (Laura Smet). The two could not be more different: Phillipe is a salesman for a builder and lives in small house with his mother and sisters, while Senta is an unemployed actor who slums in the basement of her aunt's dilapidated mansion. As Phillipe and Senta fall deeper and deeper in love, she proposes that they each murder a person to prove their love to each other.

Writer-director Claude Chabrol and writer Pierre Leccia have adapted a Ruth Rendell novel of the same title. One theme they focus on is how different people perceive and use lies; Phillipe does not hesitate to lie to avoid awkward situations and to get what he wants. When he is confronted by Senta's seemingly far-fetched stories, he assumes that she is making them up until, of course, it is too late. The writers flesh out Phillipe's family, his mother (Aurore Clement) who has been quietly dumped by her wealthy boyfriend and his younger sister Patricia (Anna Mihalcea) who is on the verge of being a delinquent, to reinforce his view of the world.

The film has a cool, slightly detached feeling, which suits the material. I found the climax somewhat awkward and rushed, and the denouement cut short. The soundtrack by Matthieu Chabrol is also sometimes annoying.

French with English subtitles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review originally published in Morva House.

Review: L'Idole / The Idol (2002)

Two residents in an apartment block, Mr. Zao (James Hong), an aged Chinese gentleman, and Sarah Silver (Leelee Sobieski), a young aspiring actress, strike up an unlikely daughter-grandfather relationship. Mr. Zao lives alone with the memories of his sister, Mai Mai, who was killed in the Second World War. Sarah is an understudy for the star of a play, Sylvia, and is having liaisons with Sylvia's husband, Philippe (Jalil Lespert), also an actor in the same play. However, Sarah is becoming frustrated with the state of affairs because Philippe refuses to divorce his wife and she is not given any opportunities to perform Sylvia's role. When Sarah starts to meet Mr. Zao, it causes tensions with their two neighbours, Roger Castellac (Jean-Paul Roussillon), a retired conductor, and Caroline (Marie Loboda), a young girl.

The premise and the first part of the film are the most intriguing. James Hong, who is often limited to secondary ethnic roles in American productions, finally gets the opportunity to be the leading man. His Mr. Zao, who is initially considering going to a retirement home, visibly comes back to life when he begins his relationship with Sarah. It's not hard to see why: Leelee Sobieski is very appealing as the nymph-like young women who is barely out of her teens and living overseas away from her parents in Australia. Another Australian connection is Samantha Lang, who has directed films in Australia.

Unfortunately, in the second part of the film, the relationship between Mr. Zao and Sarch stops progressing, and Hong's hesitant French begins to interrupt the flow of the film. Lang and co-writer Gerard Brach also focus on Sarah's histrionics, which is rather contrived and not interesting.

Interesting start, but the story peters out half-way.

French with English subtitles.

2 out of 5 stars.

Review originally published in Morva House.

Review: Va Savoir / Who Knows (2001)

After three years' absence, stage actress Camille Renard (Jeanne Balibar) returns to Paris to perform in an Italian play. The company's director and her lover, Ugo Bassini (Sergio Castellitto) frets that the season would be a failure. Between performances, the two drift apart. Camille visits her ex-lover, Pierre (Jacques Bonnaffé), a philosophy lecturer who is still working on his thesis on Heidegger. She finds him rather cold towards her, and he is now married to Sonia (Marianne Basler), a ballet teacher. Meanwhile Ugo spends his time visiting libraries looking for a missing manuscript by an 19th century playwright, where he meets Dominque (Hélène de Fougerolles), a delectable graduate student. Ugo later discovers that Dominque's family may have a copy of the manuscript he is looking for. The circle of relationships between the characters closes when we find that Dominique's half-brother, Arthur (Bruno Todeschini), a gambler, is seducing Sonia with the intention of stealing her ring.

Director and co-writer Jacques Rivette constructs a refined farce where the characters search for something that is right under their noses, and their story is reflected in the (uncredited) Pirandello play that Camille and Ugo are staging. It's a slow-paced film (the version I watched is 154 minutes long, and there's an even longer version!) and while I was not bored, this film is probably aimed at viewers more literate in theatre and literature than me.

French and Italian with English subtitles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review was originally published in Morva House.

Review: Entre Ses Mains / In His Hands (2005)

In the city of Lille, Clair Gautier (Isabelle Carré) lives an ideal modern life: she likes her job as an insurance assessor, is happily married to Fabrice (Jonathan Zaccai) and has a young daughter. One day, she processes a claim by a middle-aged vetinarian, Laurent Kessler (Benoit Poelvoorde). Kessler is self-effacing, charming but slightly creepy, so it is unexpected when she allows him into her life and dates him.

Meanwhile, a serial killer is on the loose in the city. After hearing about the killer's modus operandi, Claire suspects Kessler might the killer. Despite this suspicion, she continues to meet him; perhaps her life is not as ideal as it seems and that she's entertaining a harmless fantasy as an escape from it.

The pair's encounters through Lille are tracked by Denis Lenoir's excellent cinematography, which shows an exciting and romantic night life in contrast to the stark office interiors and wintry days. Director and co-writer, Anne Fontaine, herself an actor, gives the cast space and time to perform.

For most of its running time, I was left guessing whether Claire's suspicions are valid or not, so it is rather disappointing when that ambiguity is neatly resolved in the conclusion.

French with English subtitles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review was original published in Morva House.

Review: Pour le plaisir / Everybody is a killer (2004)

In a small country town, psychiatrist Vincent (Samuel Le Bihan) treats mechanic Francois (Francois Berleand) in exchange for servicing his car. One day, Francois tells Vincent that his wife, Julie (Nadia Fares), is only aroused by killers, so Vincent suggests that Francois play along with his wife's fantasy. The next day, a man is found murdered near Francois' garage.

In this light murder mystery, most of the violence happens off-stage and the cops are self-assured but dim (you certainly don't these guys investigating your murder). Suspicion falls on one person, then another and another as more facts are revealed. The townsfolk's reaction to the murder and the subsequent revelations is represented by a Greek chorus of drinkers in the pub.

It's a slight film, but the story is efficiently told and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

French with English sub-titles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review was originally published in Morva House.

Review: Un homme un vrai / A Real Man (2003)

Boris (Mathieu Amalric), an aspiring film maker, and Marilyne (Helene Fillieres), an upcoming business executive, fall in love. Their affair is told in three chapters, each five years apart.

The English title, 'A Real Man', is ironic because this film seems to be about the reversal of expected male and female roles. Marilyne is assertive and often makes the first move, whether it'd be throwing a party or trying to seduce Boris from working on his script. Boris, on the other hand, is more passive and reactive, and feels put upon. He's like the protagonist in his scripts (watch for the blonde he meets on the beach). It's only in the last chapter, when he leaves behind his failed attempts at film making and finds his true calling, that their roles become more equal, and we see a chance for a lasting relationship between him and Marilyne.

French with English sub-titles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review was originally published in Morva House.

Review: Ma vie en l'air / Love is in the Air (2005)

Yann (Vincent Elbaz) is airline safety inspector who falls in love with Charlotte (Elsa Kikoine). When Charlotte travels to Australia for a year, Yann's phobia about flying stops him from visiting her and she dumps him. Years later, after many failed dates, Yann becomes attracted to radio presenter Alice (Marion Cotillard), but also finds out that Charlotte in back in France.

Marion Cotillard, who takes on the role of Edith Piaf in 'La Vie En Rose' later, is strangely mesmerizing, while Vincent Elbaz is just a little too confident for the slightly introverted and dreamy Yann. The attractive leads play it straight, leaving most of the humour to Yann's indolent best friend, Ludo (Gilles Lellouche) and a distracted airline pilot Castelot (Didier Bezace).

If you accept the improbable premise, the preponderance of good looking women in Paris and coincidences, then you could just sit back and enjoy this light romantic comedy.

French with English subtitles.

3 out of 5 stars.

Review was originally published in Morva House.

Review: Sur mes lèvres / Read My Lips (2001)

Carla Behm (Emmanuelle Devos) is a secretary in a busy construction company. She is somewhat resentful of her deafness, not accepting it but unwilling to open up to others. She longs for a more glamorous life and lives vicariously on the relationships of others, reading glossy magazines during lunch or eavesdropping on lovers' conversations by lip-reading.

Her manager allows her to hire an assistant and she chooses young parolee Paul Angeli (Vincent Casell). She and Paul start an uncomfortable relationship, two disadvantaged people who are constantly jostling for an edge over the other. Later, circumstances force them to forget their games and rely on each other.

What fascinates me is how the story is told mostly from Carla's perspective, which is well captured by the very tight, claustrophobic framing by cinematographer Mathieu Vadepied and (like the more recent Australian film, 'Noise') the pops and squeals of her hearing aid.

Although billed as a thriller, I found that element somewhat incidental and relying on one too many coincidences to move the story along or tie up loose ends. The sub-plot involving Paul's probation officer Masson doesn't do anywhere. However, these petty issues don't materially impact on a very involving and sometimes tense film.

French with English subtitles.

4 out of 5 stars.