The film was evidently conceived and planned as a great popular melodrama and the film is just it. Even sometimes on the limit of bad taste. For example this long episode with Piaf persuading and persuading Marcel Cerdan to fly immediately to America to meet her, that you begin to feel that it becomes an excellent framework for a great melodramatic tragic episode and of course it turns out exactly this way. The commentators insist that constant flashbacks in the film produce a rather confusing effect on the spectator. And it is true. One of IMDS's commentators exclaims: " Why this anarchic presentation? Ask the Director, only he knows the answer." May be I guess why. The Director wanted to produce the maximal emotional effect on the spectator but he was not sure enough of himself. He was afraid that if he narrates the Piaf's biography simply in chronological manner he risks annoying the spectator. For example, an important part of the film is devoted to the decrepitude of singer in her last years. If it were narrated just chronologically it may produce a rather depressing effect on the spectator. But a flashback to her flamboyant youth at this moment produces just that emotional shock that the Director has intended to create. And it works! And of course the performance of Marion Cotillard as Piaf is absolutely astounding.
Reviews
5 Reviews
The Lives of Others
(2006)
Population and secret political police in the last years of DDR
13 February 2007
"The life of others" reminds me of another German film "Last Five Days" of Percy Adlon (1982) about an anti Nazi resistance of a group of German high school youth. Both films are characterized by a sombre, sober, thrifty manner of filming and playing (especially of Ulrich Mühe in the role of a secret service agent Wiesler). The main impression which it transfers is fragility, helplessness and defenselessness of a human person in the face of the cruel and merciless state repression machine. Nevertheless the man persists to resist. This sentiment which the film produces is the main reason of its attraction. It is easy to proof. Imagine that the entire film would consist of a narration of the dissidents' somewhat schoolboy's clandestinely, adventures and political declarations. Probably the auditory would have difficulty to stay till the end of that film. I have another association, on that subject, with a somewhat extraordinary film "Funny games" (1997) of another Germanic author, the Austrian Michael Haneke. In this case the shocking fascination of the film is produced by helplessness of a lonely human being in the face of a resolute aimless cruelty of some other persons.
Little Children
(2006)
A day-to-day suburban story but not only that
31 January 2007
For a long time I haven't seen such a film. All the actors play well, even very well. It can mean but one thing: it is the director who is doing his job very well. The actors just understand what he wants of them and do it. Another accomplishment of the director is the presence of an almost permanent suspense in the film which of course is an ordinary trait for a suspense drama but it is not a suspense drama, it is a day-to-day drama. Of course, the story of a sexual maniac in the town is always present in the background but it is not decisive. May be even in its absence the director would be able to maintain the spectator in a breath taking attention during the film. The music is also excellent.
Priceless
(2006)
Adventures of a professional hooker (Audrey Tautou) and her lover in several resorts of the southern France
13 January 2007
It is a nice film of pure entertainment (and it has nothing to do neither with Bush, nor with Blair, nor with any politics at all). Or, may be, the contrast between the poor and the extremely rich people is presented here with certain cruel nakedness. Nevertheless these are but my personnel associations: this certainly has nothing to do with the authors' intentions. There is no social moralization in this film at all. On the other hand, there is a certain artistic charm in presentation of luxurious hotels and luxurious clothes (on Tautou in this case) in the film: there are plenty of films demonstrating the luxury but few of them do it with such an art and taste. Audrey Tautou is very expressive and amusing in her role of hooker. But her partner Elmaleh, being a well known actor, is less convincing in his role of seducer. I think that spectator has a difficulty to understand what such a beauty as Tatou and other millionaire find attractive in this man patently plain. This choice of actor by the director is difficult to understand.
Stestí
(2005)
New Czechs
13 April 2006
The film "Stesti" ("Some kind of happiness") reminds me of the cinema of the Czech New Wave of sixties, especially of the first films of Milos Forman (The Loves of a Blonde, The Firemen's Ball). The same sincere and touching interest to the preoccupations and destiny of the simple people, especially their sentimental life. The same unhurried cadence. But it is a more disillusioned film also, probably because it describes a country in the state of breakdown before reconstruction and it shows the people in the turmoil and torment of change. It is an unsophisticated film, as films of the developing world often are, but it is realistic and honest one as these films are sometimes. Of course Czechie is not a developing country but it seems that the sophistication and glamor of Western cinema is not so easy to attain even for a director of talent. I must mention also the work of the cameraman. Especially his landscapes. Sometimes they are absolutely exquisite. Sometimes beautiful and nostalgic.
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