Displaying all 2 Review

• Excellent Movie — for The Savages
  Written by RMN on 15.04.2010

  This movie is a delight.

  Showing an incredible intelligence in her writing, Tamara Jenkins has made of this story, a very subtle drama.
  All the characters are as true as if they were real, the cast is just amazing, from Laura Linney, perfect in her role of middle-aged single woman, to (of course) Philip Seymour Hoffman, through Philip Bosco, as the disappeared and disappearing father, all the actors are playing in such a pertinent way, improving the ability of the spectator to immerse himself in this moving story.

  But emotion is not the only interest of the movie, rationality is also here ; the mixture of those two theme is creating the essence of the movie : what can you do to rationalize your feelings ? Is it a good solution to repress them ? Do you have to love your parents ? There are some examples of questions asked by and in the movie. The relation between intellect and sentiment is examined in a very subtle and bright way. This movie is a vade mecum for every day life.

  Some movies are made by an industry just to entertain, clearly this is not what this is about, although the movie is smart, it is not elitist, fun and subtle, the movie is a demonstration about the art of counterpoint and an idea of a popular cinema. Jenkins is talking directly, honestly to her audience, establishing through her movie a human relationship, for that she should be thanked.

  Perfection is not a human question, here we are talking about excellency, and this movie is excellent.

• A Piece of History — for L'Atalante
  Written by RMN on 16.04.2010

  Shot inbetween the two World Wars, this movie is a masterwork and a piece of cinematographical history as for the personnality of Vigo than his movie direction.

  Far from a simpleton approach, Jean Vigo tells us about the complexity and the confinement of a love story in an enclosed place as a boat, especially when there is a third character as the Father Jules (played by the great french actor, Michel Simon). The action is taking place on a barge, and the first interest of the movie is the direction ; the realistic, social aspect of the life of the young couple. If you refer yourself to the period (1930’s), just that simple fact would be a good justification.

  But there is more, the political views of Vigo, his personnality, radically changed the original script, wich was a simple, almost inane love story. Jean Vigo, previously at “L’Atalante”, has already been censored with his previous short movie “Zéro de conduite”, so wishing to shoot, he rewrited the scenario, introducing many subtle changes, undermining any form of idealism in the movie. He turned a basic story into a social chronicle. The mark of a great.

  It’s a shame he died just after the movie.