Private Fears in Public Places
I saw this lovely and intimate film, directed by Alain Resnais, on IFC in Theaters on demand (films currently playing in theaters can at the same time be rented through a cable company). And it certainly was more than worth the price of the rental.
The film is adapted by Jean-Michel Ribes from a play by Alan Ayckbourn. It takes place at wintertime in a snowy Paris and it focuses on six people who are all, in their own way, lonely and looking for meaningful relationships.
Nicole (Laura Morante) wants to find a larger apartment so that she and her fiance Dan (Lambert Wilson) will have a more comfortable place to live when they are married. But their relationship appears headed for a crash. Thierry (Andre Dussollier) is the real estate agent who is showing her around. He has a bit of a thing for his assistant Charlotte (Sabine Azema) who on the surface seems to be very religious. But Charlotte has a secret side to her that most people don't know about. Thierry lives with his sister Gaelle (Isabelle Carre) who goes out night after night on bad blind dates (that is if they show up). Lionel (Pierre Arditi) is a bartender who works in a hotel and has to take care of his elderly, foul mouthed father Arthur (the voice of Claude Rich). During several days the lives of these six people will intertwine in various ways.
All of the acting is wonderful and I especially liked Arditi as the sad looking Lionel. The way the film is shot is stunning. And Resnais, who is 84, pays such attention to each and every detail. Cinematographer Eric Gautier (who also shot The Motorcycle Diaries among other films) is at the top of his game. The way the snow is shown in the background just adds to the lonely and desolate feeling you get when watching the film. And, yes, this is very realistic because there are so many people in big cities all around the world who are longing for a real, human, intimate connection.
If someone out there has this rental feature then by all means rent this film. Or go to your local cinema if they are playing it. If you can't do either of these things then rent it when it comes out on DVD. It is a film that is not to be missed (won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival).
The film is adapted by Jean-Michel Ribes from a play by Alan Ayckbourn. It takes place at wintertime in a snowy Paris and it focuses on six people who are all, in their own way, lonely and looking for meaningful relationships.
Nicole (Laura Morante) wants to find a larger apartment so that she and her fiance Dan (Lambert Wilson) will have a more comfortable place to live when they are married. But their relationship appears headed for a crash. Thierry (Andre Dussollier) is the real estate agent who is showing her around. He has a bit of a thing for his assistant Charlotte (Sabine Azema) who on the surface seems to be very religious. But Charlotte has a secret side to her that most people don't know about. Thierry lives with his sister Gaelle (Isabelle Carre) who goes out night after night on bad blind dates (that is if they show up). Lionel (Pierre Arditi) is a bartender who works in a hotel and has to take care of his elderly, foul mouthed father Arthur (the voice of Claude Rich). During several days the lives of these six people will intertwine in various ways.
All of the acting is wonderful and I especially liked Arditi as the sad looking Lionel. The way the film is shot is stunning. And Resnais, who is 84, pays such attention to each and every detail. Cinematographer Eric Gautier (who also shot The Motorcycle Diaries among other films) is at the top of his game. The way the snow is shown in the background just adds to the lonely and desolate feeling you get when watching the film. And, yes, this is very realistic because there are so many people in big cities all around the world who are longing for a real, human, intimate connection.
If someone out there has this rental feature then by all means rent this film. Or go to your local cinema if they are playing it. If you can't do either of these things then rent it when it comes out on DVD. It is a film that is not to be missed (won a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival).
posted by Film Fanatic | 2:44 PM
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