At Eternity's Gate

Directed by Julian Schnabel and written by Schnabel, Jean-Claude Carriere, and Louise Kugelberg, At Eternity’s Gate is the story about the final years of painter Vincent van Gogh. Based on theories by van Gogh biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith, the film dramatizes the events of van Gogh’s final years as well as his eventual death as the painter struggles to get attention and recognition for his work as van Gogh is portrayed by Willem Dafoe. Also starring Mads Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Mathieu Almaric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Oscar Isaac, and Niels Arestrup. At Eternity’s Gate is a rapturous and riveting film from Julian Schnabel.

Set during the final two years of the life of Vincent van Gogh, the film follows the painter as he struggles to make a name for himself while wanting to express himself artistically as well as questioning himself about his art and the divine. It’s a film with a simple premise yet it doesn’t play into a straightforward approach expected in films about real figures. Instead, it is a study of a man trying to find himself through his art as he also begins to question his being and worth as an artist and as a man while he would meet various people in his journey. The film’s script by Julian Schnabel, Louise Kugelberg, and Jean-Claude Carriere follows van Gogh in that journey where he often walks around landscapes in France as he would often paint what he sees as those who would see his paintings are convinced that he’s no good. Upon meeting the artist Paul Gauguin (Oscar Isaac) in Paris as they both share their thoughts on art, van Gogh goes to Arles in the South of France to find inspiration in the landscape but is ridiculed by some locals for his aesthetics while a visit from Gauguin only adds to his emotional turmoil.

The film’s second half revolves around the events in which van Gogh had cut off his left ear as the narrative also feature voiceover narration from van Gogh through letters he would write to his brother Theo (Rupert Friend) who would fund his art. It is at this time that van Gogh would be sent to an asylum as he ponders about his art and such but also the beauty of nature and the divine. Even as he would continue to paint to the day he dies as the script also showcases the man’s delusions and episodes of mental illness as well as ideas of what might’ve happened on the day of his death.

Schnabel’s direction is definitely dream-like in some of the imagery he creates as he would also shoot the film on actual locations in Arles as well as additional locations in Bouches-du-Rhone, and Auvers-sur-Oise in France. Schnabel’s usage of the wide and medium shots add to the beauty that van Gogh was seeking but also something that is almost indescribable in trying to find the actual look of it which is why he paints fast. The attention to detail in the painting as well as what van Gogh sees adds to the beauty while some of the framing that Schnabel creates in the medium shots do match up to some of the paintings that van Gogh has created. Even in the close-ups as it help play into the sense of despair and torment that van Gogh endures with Schnabel often shooting scenes with hand-held cameras where the camera often glides or gets a point-of-view shot of van Gogh walking. The usage of the hand-held cameras would also play into the wonders of nature and the surroundings that van Gogh would encounter.

Also serving as editor with co-writer Louise Kugelberg, Schnabel’s usage of jump-cuts and dissolves add to some of the film’s emotional moments as well as play into van Gogh’s troubled mental state. Notably in scenes during the third act where van Gogh is in an asylum as it returns to the film’s opening scene where it is shown in a different context. It adds to this sense of despair and uncertainty in van Gogh where he meets a sympathetic priest (Mads Mikkelsen) who gets a look at one of his paintings and does express his opinion yet doesn’t think that van Gogh is a terrible painter. The third act also has Schnabel play into things that play into events relating to his work including a sketchbook that would be lost until 2016 and what happened to him on the day he died. Yet, Schnabel showcases a man that is driven by the beauty of his surroundings and hoping to capture it the way he and possibly God sees it. Overall, Schnabel crafts an intoxicating and enchanting film about the final years in the life of Vincent van Gogh.

Cinematographer Benoit Delhomme does incredible work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of lush colors and dream-like photography add to the films’ beauty as well as its usage of blurry lenses and some black-and-white shots that showcases the depths of van Gogh’s psyche. Production designer Stephane Cressend, with set decorators Sonia Gloaguen and Cecile Vatelot plus art director Loic Chavanon, does brilliant work with the look of the places that van Gogh would go to and stay at as well as a tavern he would frequent at and the asylum where he spent some time during his illness. Costume designer Karen Muller Serreau does fantastic work with the ragged clothes that van Gogh wears as well as some of the clothes the other characters wear.

Special makeup effects artist Jean-Christophe Spadaccini and special effects makeup designer Mark Wotton do terrific work with the look of a few characters including van Gogh after he had cut off his left ear. Visual effects supervisor Arthur Lemaitre does nice work with the visual effects as it is largely minimal in presenting van Gogh without his left ear and a few bits of set dressing. Sound editor Thomas Desjonqueres does excellent work with the film’s sound in the way it repeats lines of dialogues to play into van Gogh’s delusions as well as capturing natural sounds as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s music by Tatiana Lisovskaya is amazing for its lush and somber piano sonatas and low-key orchestral touches that play into the film’s melancholic tone as well as the sense of wonderment that van Gogh endures.

The film’s wonderful cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Anne Consigny as a schoolteacher who is disgusted by what van Gogh is painting, Louis Garrel as the voice of an article by an art critic, Lolita Chammah as a young woman van Gogh meets at the film’s beginning, Vincent Perez as an art gallery director, Amira Casar as Theo’s wife Johanna van Gogh-Bonger, Vladimir Consigny as an asylum doctor, and Niels Arestrup as a madman van Gogh converses with at the asylum about insanity. Mads Mikkelsen is superb in his one-scene performance as a priest who converses with Van Gogh about art and the divine as it is a low-key performance from Mikkelsen who provides a sense of warmth to the character. Mathieu Almaric is fantastic in his small role as Dr. Paul Gachet as a man who is a subject of one of van Gogh’s paintings as well as be someone who would be with him on the last day of van Gogh’s life.

Emmanuelle Seigner is excellent in a dual role as the woman from Arles who becomes a subject of one of Van Gogh’s paintings as she would give him a place to stay while other role as Madam Ginoux is brief as the woman who would unknowingly have van Gogh’s sketchbook and put in a place that she would forget about. Oscar Isaac is brilliant as Paul Gauguin as an artist who shares van Gogh’s ideas about aesthetics yet becomes baffled by what van Gogh is trying to find through art believing that van Gogh would never get any attention. Rupert Friend is amazing as van Gogh’s brother Theo as a man who is also funds van Gogh’s work as he becomes concerned about his brother’s emotional and mental well-being. Finally, there’s Willem Dafoe in a performance for the ages as Vincent van Gogh as this tormented artist who is trying to create art that means something while dealing with rejection, criticism, and himself as Dafoe play into this man’s struggle as well as wanting to create something that he believes is closer to what God would see as it is a towering performance from Dafoe.

At Eternity’s Gate is an outstanding film from Julian Schnabel that features a career-defining performance from Willem Dafoe as Vincent van Gogh. Along with its ensemble cast, Benoit Delhomme’s ravishing cinematography, Tatiana Lisovskaya’s somber score, and its exploration of an artist trying to create art that is divine. The film is an unconventional yet enthralling film that doesn’t play into the traditional schematics of a bio-pic in favor of studying a man trying to capture nature at its most pure. In the end, At Eternity’s Gate is a magnificent film from Julian Schnabel.

Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - Before Night Falls - The Diving Bell and the Butterfly - Lou Reed-Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse - Miral

Related: (Lust for Life) – (Vincent & Theo) – (Dreams (1990 film)) – (Loving Vincent) - The Auteurs #43: Julian Schnabel

© thevoid99 2020

Elle (2016 film)

Based on the novel Oh… by Philippe Dijan, Elle is the story of a woman who has been raped as she decides not to tell her incident to the police in favor of handling the matter herself. Directed by Paul Verhoeven and screenplay by David Birke, the film is an exploration of a woman dealing with the aftermath of a rape as well as the need for justice on her own terms. Starring Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny, Charles Berling, and Virginie Efira. Elle is a gripping yet haunting film from Paul Verhoeven.

The film follows a businesswoman who had been raped in her home as she tries to find the man who raped her as she doesn’t want to report the incident to the police due to her previous experiences with the police. It’s a film that explores a woman not just dealing with what happened to her but also being very cool about it as she would tell a few friends over what happened but mostly keep it to herself for others while carrying on with her life. David Birke’s screenplay follows the character of Michele Leblanc (Isabelle Huppert), who runs a video game company with her friend Anna (Anne Consigny), who ventures into this investigation to see who raped her and why as she also copes with the turmoil in her family life as her son Vincent (Jonas Bloquet) is in a relationship with a domineering woman in Josie (Alice Isaaz) who is pregnant and possibly unfaithful. While Michele is still friendly towards her ex-husband Richard (Charles Berling), she is having an affair with Anna’s husband Robert (Christian Berkel) that proves to be unfulfilling while having a crush on her neighbor Patrick (Laurent Lafitte).

Michele is a very offbeat character where she acts quite passive at times who will often make some very darkly humorous comments as it relates to the fact that she had a troubled past as a child. It’s among the reasons why she and her mother Irene (Judith Magre) have an uneasy relationship as the latter is spending her time with younger lovers while wanting Michele to make contact with her estranged father. Yet, Michele isn’t an easy person to like as she can be bitchy in a cool and calm way while she would say things that would offend people. It all play into the fact that she hiding things about herself as some of Birke’s dialogue show how she can make darkly-comic comments as a way to mask herself from any kind of danger. Still, she has to contend with the fact that she’s been raped as she has her suspects and their possible motives but would also wonder if she brought this on herself.

Paul Verhoeven’s direction is definitely riveting from the way he opens the film with Michele being raped as it is her cat that is watching it not knowing what to do. It is a very odd way to open the film yet Verhoeven doesn’t mince anything into what is happening and then follow Michele in the days after the rape. Shot on location in Paris as well as areas near the city, Verhoeven creates a film that plays into a woman dealing with being raped as she tries to maintain her day-to-day activities. While there are some wide shots in the film, Verhoeven would go for more intimate shots with the close-ups and medium shots to play into the world that Michele is in as well as the idea of fantasy and reality colliding. Notably in the former as there’s a recreation of the moment in which Michele is raped where she would kill her rapist as well as other moments relating toward her attraction to Patrick. Verhoeven would also show another perspective of that opening sequence as it started off as any typical day until Michele’s attacker comes in as Verhoeven would use a Steadicam shot to capture the incident from this other perspective.

Verhoeven would also inject moments of dark humor as it relate to not just Michele’s own reaction to her rape and bits of her life. There is a scene at her work place where an animation of a monster raping a female character with Michele’s face is on display as it add some intrigue to who Michele thinks is her rapist. There are also these tense moments in which Michele is saying things that would upset people but also indicate how detached she is from those who care about her. The film’s third act isn’t just about the reveal of her rapist but also her own reaction to that man’s identity as it adds an ambiguity that does feel odd. Even as the rapist would be around her socializing as if nothing had happened with no one but her knowing his identity as it just adds this air of dramatic chaos in which Michele is forced to confront what happened to her and make sense of the choices she’s made in her life. Overall, Verhoeven crafts a very eerie yet evocative film about a woman trying to find the man who raped her.

Cinematographer Stephane Fontaine does excellent work with the film’s cinematography from the array of lighting for many of the interior/exterior settings at night including the Christmas lights at Patrick’s home to the naturalistic look of the scenes set in the day. Editor Job ter Burg does brilliant work with the editing as it does have some stylistic moments in the jump-cuts while much of it is straightforward. Production designer Laurent Ott and set decorator Cecile Vatelot do fantastic work with the look of Michele’s home as well as her work place and some of the homes and places she goes to. Costume designer Nathalie Raoul does nice work with the costumes as it’s mostly straightforward aside from some of the clothes that Michele wears in social gatherings.

Visual effects supervisors Philippe Frere, Hugues Namur, and Nicholas Rey do terrific work with some of the film’s minimal visual effects as it mostly involve a sequence of Michele driving in the woods. Sound editor Alexis Place does superb work with the sound as it play into some of the suspense as well as the drama including a scene involving strong winds and another scene that play into Michele’s own suspicions around her. The film’s music by Anne Dudley is amazing for its haunting orchestral score that help play into the suspense and drama without the need to be heard in some scenes while music supervisor Elise Luguern provide a soundtrack filled with some classical and opera music from the likes of Serge Rachmaninoff and Ludwig Van Beethoven to contemporary music from Iggy Pop and Roxy Music.

The casting by Constance Demontoy is wonderful as it features some notable small roles from Raphael Lenglet as Irene’s much-younger lover, Arthur Mazet as programmer named Kevin who works secretly for Michele to uncover some of the hacking at the work place, Lucas Prisor as a game designer named Kurt who dislikes Michele, Vimala Pons as Richard’s new girlfriend Helene, Alice Isaaz as Vincent’s pregnant yet angry girlfriend Josie whom Michele doesn’t like very much, and Judith Magre as Michele’s mother Irene as a woman who is trying to maintain her youthfulness despite her testy relationship with Michele. Jonas Bloquet is terrific as Richard and Michele’s son Vincent as a young man trying to get his apartment as he deals with his girlfriend Josie as well as the revelations in being a father. Virginie Efra is superb as Patrick’s wife Rebecca as a woman who is always kind as well as serve as a figure of goodness that is rarely in Michele’s world as well as being a figure of faith.

Christian Berkel is excellent as Robert as Anna’s husband who is quite perverse in his flirtations with Michel as he is someone that is creepy as well as making Michele feel loathsome. Anne Consigny is fantastic as Anna as Michele’s longtime friend/business partner who is concerned about Michele’s well-being as she feels that Michele should report the rape to the police. Charles Berling is brilliant as Michele’s ex-husband Richard as a man who is also concerned about Michele as well as Vincent’s relationship with Josie and his own life where he just want to have Michele’s blessing. Laurent Lafitte is amazing as Patrick as Michele’s neighbor who is quite helpful to Michele as well as be Michele’s object of desire as he has feelings for her but doesn’t want to cheat on his wife. Finally, there’s Isabelle Huppert in a phenomenal performance as Michele as a businesswoman who had been raped as she tries to find the man who raped her while dealing with the many things in her own life as it’s a performance filled with restraint as well as some very offbeat dark humor as it is definitely one of Huppert’s career-defining performances.

Elle is a tremendous film from Paul Verhoeven that features an incredible leading performance from Isabelle Huppert. Filled with a witty yet eerie script, subtle yet gripping suspense, a great ensemble cast, gorgeous visuals, and a sumptuous music score. It’s a film that plays with the convention of a suspense-drama while being a character study of a woman dealing with being a rape victim that adds to her already troubled life. In the end, Elle is a spectacular film from Paul Verhoeven.

Paul Verhoeven Films: (Business is Business) – (Turkish Delight) – (Keetje Tippel) – (Soldier of Orange) – (All Things Pass) – (Spetters) – (The Fourth Man) – (Flesh and Blood) – (Robocop) – (Total Recall) – (Basic Instinct) – (Showgirls) – (Starship Troopers) – (Hollow Man) – (Black Book) – (Tricked)

© thevoid99 2017

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Based on the memoir of Jean-Dominique Bauby, Le scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly) is the story about the famed editor of Elle magazine who suffered a stroke at the age of 43 where he would become paralyzed as the only part of his body that moves is his left eye as he would tell his own story from that eye. Directed by Julian Schnabel and screenplay by Ronald Harwood, the film is an unconventional bio-pic as Mathieu Almaric plays the role of Bauby from the man who had a charmed life as he later succumbs to paralysis as he copes with the remaining days of his life. Also starring Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze, Anne Consigny, Isaach de Bankole, and Max von Sydow. Le scaphandre et le papillon is a majestic yet rapturous film from Julian Schnabel.

In 1995 at the age of 43 while driving with his son, Jean-Dominique Bauby suffers a stroke as he wakes up three weeks later realizing he is paralyzed as the only thing he can see and feel is from his left eye. Throughout the course of the film, Bauby would use his eye to communicate with the help of a kind nurse in Henrietta (Marie-Josee Croze) through a series of letters that are used frequently where Bauby would write his memoir with the help of an editor in Claude (Anne Consigny) as he would reflect on his own life as well as his own life with his ex-girlfriend Celine Desmoulins (Emmanuelle Seigner) and their three children. Bauby also talks about the day of his stroke and his meeting with his father (Max von Sydow) as he begins to contemplate about the days he has left in his own life.

Ronald Harwood’s screenplay definitely plays with a back-and-forth narrative structure of sorts since it is told largely from Bauby’s perspective about the life he had as well as the life he is having as a paralyzed man. Much of it would involve aspects of what Bauby did as well as his frustrations of having to live where his left eye is the only thing that is working as he thinks about sex and football. The film’s title serves as a metaphor for the life that Bauby is in as it would appear in a series of surrealistic things that are playing in his head including things that aren’t from his time as Harwood uses a lot of voice-over narration to play into Bauby and his struggles. Even as he reveals flaws into who he is as a person as he is someone that is very selfish and sleeps around with various woman as he even fantasizes about the women who are helping him. Upon knowing that he’s got a limited amount of time, the self-reflective approach to the narrative not only helps Bauby but display someone who is trying to find some kind of redemption as the script allows him to do that.

Julian Schnabel’s direction is truly mesmerizing for the way he shoots nearly half of the film from Bauby’s perspective as if the camera is playing the role of Bauby’s left eye. There’s elements of hand-held cameras with blurry edges to play into that idea that the camera is Bauby where it shows an idea of how he is feeling and how he is coping with being paralyzed. Scenes shot outside of the eye has this sense of style in the way Schnabel he shoots photo shoots as well as scenes on the beach where Bauby is surrounded by his children. The scenes involving Bauby and his father are among the most intimate and powerful to showcase this relationship that is quite unique as they’re both going through some form of illness. Schnabel’s approach to metaphoric images are entrancing as it plays to some of the surreal elements in the film yet they do make sense into what Bauby is dealing with as he is a man coping with death and aspect of his own charmed but troubled life. Even as Schnabel creates compositions and framing devices to play into the man’s final days as it showcases the kind of life that Bauby had and how he refused to die without making some kind of difference. Overall, Schnabel creates a very enthralling yet intoxicating film about a man dealing with death as the only part in his body with any sense of life is his left eye.

Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of colors and lights for the scenes shot from the perspective of the eye with some scratchy blurs and images to some of the interior/exterior scenes including the use of gorgeous colors and lights for a sequence at Lourdes where Bauby is intrigued by elements of spirituality. Editor Juliette Welfing does amazing work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts as well as creating a few montages and other stylistic cuts to play into Bauby‘s dizzying life. Production designers Michel Eric and Laurent Ott do brilliant work with the look of the hospital room and its hallways including some very mesmerizing scenes of shops at the city of Lourdes.

Costume designer Olivier Beriot does nice work with the costumes from the casual clothes of the main characters to some period clothing presented in a few surrealistic scenes in Bauby‘s head. Sound editor Francis Wargnier, with mixer Dominique Gaborieau and recordist Jean-Paul Mugel, does fantastic work with the sound to create textures into Bauby‘s narration as well as what he might be hearing in his head along with some of the atmosphere in the locations. The film’s music by Paul Cantelon is wonderful as it’s mostly low-key with its plaintive piano score to play into the different moods of the film while Schnabel supervises the film’s soundtrack that features music from the Velvet Underground, Tom Waits, U2, Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, Charles Trenet, Emmanuelle Seigner with Ultra, and the Dirtbombs.

The film’s phenomenal ensemble cast includes some notable appearances from Lenny Kravitz as himself in a photo shoot, photographer Jean-Baptiste Mondino, Michael Wincott, Jean-Pierre Cassel in a dual role as a Lourdes vendor and a friend of Bauby, Elvis Polanski as a young Bauby, Gerard Watkins as a doctor, Marina Hands as Bauby’s Lourdes’ date Josephine, Niels Arestrup and Isaach de Bankole as friends of Bauby who visits him, Agathe de La Fontaine as his mistress Ines, Olata Lopez Garmendia as a therapist, Patrick Chenais as the doctor who would tell Bauby his condition, Emma de Caunes in a fantasy version of Empress Eugenie, and as the trio of Bauby’s children with Desmoulins, there’s Theo Sampaio, Fiorella Campanella, and Talina Boyaci. Max von Sydow is brilliant as Bauby’s father as a man who hopes for his son to go into a better path as he also copes with his own stroke.

Emmanuelle Seigner is excellent as Bauby’s ex-girlfriend Celine Desmoulins who is the mother of his three children as she reconnects with him in the wake of his illness as she provides the reasons for him to be faithful. Anne Consigny is amazing as Claude who would help Bauby write his memoir as he is intrigued by her beauty. Marie-Josee Croze is fantastic as the nurse Henriette Durand who would be the one to communicate with him through an alphabet system that she would perfect as she would help others in communicating with him. Finally, there’s Mathieu Almaric in a magnificent performance as Jean-Dominique Bauby as he brings a sense of cool and charm to the man in his prime as well as a selfishness and confusion. When he’s paralyzed, Almaric maintains a restraint to his role where he uses his own left eye to do the performance as it’s just astonishing to watch.

Le scaphandre et le papillon is an outstanding film from Julian Schnabel as it features a phenomenal performance from Mathieu Almaric as Jean-Dominique Bauby. Along with a great supporting cast, some amazing technical work from Janusz Kaminski and Juliette Welfing, Ronald Harwood’s screenplay, and a mesmerizing soundtrack. The film is definitely very unconventional in terms of its presentation as well as creating something that feels very engaging in a way a man deals with mortality. In the end, Le scaphandre et le papillon is a tremendously powerful film from Julian Schnabel.

Julian Schnabel Films: Basquiat - Before Night Falls - Berlin: Live at St. Ann’s Warehouse - Miral - At Eternity's Gate - The Auteurs #43: Julian Schnabel

© thevoid99 2014

Wild Grass

Based on the works of Christian Gailly, Les Herbes Folles (Wild Grass) is the story of a dentist who loses her wallet that is later found by a married man who becomes fascinated by her picture as he tries to be in her life. Directed by Alain Resnais with an adapted script by Alex Reval and Laurent Herbiet, the film is a look about the way people get into other people’s lives through accidental means and its impact. Starring Sabine Azema, Andre Dussollier, Anne Consigny, Emmanuelle Devos, Mathieu Amalric, and narration by Edouard Baer. Les Herbes Folles is a quirky yet entrancing film from Alain Resnais.

After having her purse stolen by a thief, Marguerite Muir (Sabine Azema) is comprehend what happens as her wallet is later found in a mall parking lot by a man named Georges Palet (Andre Dussollier). Palet ponders what to do after looking into the contents of the wallet as he eventually decides to turn the wallet into the police as Bernard de Bordeaux (Mathieu Amalric) takes the wallet to return to Marguerite. Georges however, is wondering about what to do as he attempts to make contact with Marguerite as he’s trying to do usual activities for his wife Suzanne (Anne Consigny). Still, he ponders about Marguerite as his attempts to contact her leaves him disturbed where he finally reaches her through letters as things get weird.

Due to Georges’ behavior and the way he reacts though they haven’t met, Marguerite contacts Bernard for help as he and his partner Lucien (Michel Vuillermoz) talk to Georges to stop contact Marguerite. Georges does so though Marguerite remains intrigued by Georges as she wants to know more about him much to the chagrin of her dental partner Josepha (Emmanuelle Devos). Yet, Marguerite manages to contact Suzanne as she wants to meet Georges though things remain weird. Finally, Marguerite and Georges eventually meet though the meeting proves to be awkward. Yet, Marguerite wants to know more by making Georges an offer he couldn’t refuse.

The film is about the way fates play into the world as this eccentric yet lively woman, who is a dentist and likes to fly planes, has her purse stolen only for her wallet to be found by another man. Yet, this troubled yet quiet man would become interested in this woman as it would eventually cause trouble as his wife is confused by this interest while the woman’s friend is also baffled by it later on in the film. Yet, these two people have a shared interest in aviation though the letters they correspond through early in the film. Still, Georges’ own behavior and later, Marguerite’s own interest would lead to some consequences as the script works in terms of studying these two characters. Notably the way the try to contact each other and the impact it would have on the people around them.

Alain Resnais’ direction is entrancing for the way he presents the film with such style that makes it very engaging. With many scenes shot from a crane to emphasize everything that is from above, Resnais uses the style to ponder what Marguerite and Georges are thinking. There’s scenes where the two are driving in different scenes while their respective faces pop up in the frame to see what they’re going to do if they contact one another. The narrative jumps a bit to see how Marguerite learns about Georges when she meets Bernard as that scene is presented in a flashback. The film is filled with a lot of voice-over narration for the main characters to think about their own situations while the narration of Edouard Baer talks about the characters and their own back story. The film ends in a strange note while Resnais adds a bit of style to the film. There’s parts where the film lags a bit though it’s an overall wonderful film by Alain Resnais.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier does a brilliant job with the film‘s colorful yet lush cinematography to complement the naturalistic look of the scenes involving grass and nature to a more stylized yet soft look for some nighttime scenes and the opening purse theft sequence. Editor Herve de Luze does a very good job with the film’s stylized editing as a lot of it is straightforward while the transitional fade-outs help the film move well despite a few pacing issues.

Production designer Jacques Saulnier does an excellent job with the set pieces created such as Georges‘ home as well as the home of Marguerite while her dentist office features paintings of the Beatles. Costume designer Jackie Budin does a superb job with the costumes from the darker clothes that Georges wear to the more colorful look of Marguerite to display their personalities. Sound editor Gerard Hardy and mixer Jean-Marie Blondel do an incredible job with the sound work to emphasize the locations and places the characters go into. The film’s score by Mark Snow is wonderful for its plaintive piano pieces that ranges from light-hearted to somber as well as some dark, brooding electronic pieces.

The casting for the film is amazing for the ensemble that is created as it includes appearances from Sara Forestier and Vladimir Consigny as the young-adult children of Georges and Suzanne, Nicolas Duvauchelle as the son-in-law, Annie Cordy as a neighbor of Marguerite, Michel Vuillermoz as Bernard’s police partner, and Roger Pierre as an elderly patient of Marguerite. Mathieu Amalric is very good as Bernard, a police officer who tries to smooth things out and make sure no one gets into trouble. Emmanuelle Devos is excellent as Josepha, Marguerite’s friend/business partner who tries to deal with Marguerite’s sudden interest in Georges. Anne Consigny is wonderful as Georges’ wife Suzanne who tries to figure out Georges’ interest while she would also make contact with Marguerite.

Finally there’s Sabine Azema and Andre Dussollier in fantastic performances in their respective roles of Marguerite and Georges. Azema brings a wonderfully lively yet laid-back performance to a woman who likes to fly and do her duties only to become more intrigued by the man who found her wallet. Dussollier adds a complexity to a man who is very troubled as well as kind as someone wanting to know this woman only to back off due to his own troubled behavior. Azema and Dussollier, two regulars of Resnais, have an amazing chemistry to the way the react each other that involves some light humor to their performances.

Les Herbes Folles is an excellent film from Alain Resnais that features a stellar ensemble cast led by Sabine Azema and Andre Dussollier. While it’s a more low-key film from Resnais, it’s a film that is fascinating for the way he plays with the idea of fate. It’s a film also proves that Resnais, a key figure of the French New Wave, still has some things to say though it’s a film that isn’t perfect due to a few pacing issues. Still, Les Herbes Folles is a terrific yet majestic film from Alain Resnais.

Alain Resnais Films: Night and Fog - Hiroshima Mon Amour - Last Year at Marienbad - (Muriel) - (The War is Over) - (Je T’aime, je t’aime) - (Stavisky) - (Providence) - Mon oncle D'Amerique - (Life is a Bed of Roses) - (Love Unto Death) - (Melo) - (I Want to Go Home) - (Gershwin) - (Smoking/No Smoking) - (Same Old Song) - (Not on the Lips) - (Private Fears in Public Places) - (You Haven’t Seen Anything Yet) - (Life of Riley)

© thevoid99 2011

A Christmas Tale

Directed by Arnaud Desplechin with a script co-written with Emmanuel Bourdieu.  Un conte de Noel (A Christmas Tale) tells the story of a family with strained relationships towards one another to reunite for the holidays as they learn that their mother has leukemia.  Upon this news, the children deal with their own issues as well as the fraught relationship they have towards their parents.  Starring Catherine Deneuve, Mathieu Amalric,, Jean-Paul Roussillon, Anne Consigny, Melvil Poupaud, Emmanuelle Devos, Chiara Mastroianni, and Hippolyte Giradot.  Un conte de Noel is a witty yet somber film from Arnaud Desplechin.

Junon Vuillard (Catherine Deneuve) has just received some terrifying news as she is suffering from a rare disease that can lead to leukemia.  Her only chance to beat the disease is a bone-marrow transplant as her husband Abel (Jean-Paul Roussillon) is helping out.  With the Christmas holiday approaching, Junon decides it’s time for the whole family to come together which will prove to be a difficult task.  The eldest daughter Elizabeth (Anne Consigny) is having her own issues while her 16-year old son Paul (Emile Berling) is suffering from mental illness.  With her husband Claude (Hippolyte Giradot) often at work and trying to help, Elizabeth’s youngest brother Ivan (Melvil Poupaud) makes a visit to help Paul out.  Both siblings decide to go as Ivan has already sent his twin sons Basile and Baptiste (Thomas and Clement Obled) to their grandparents.

The only other sibling that hasn’t learned about Junon or anything is Henri (Mathieu Amalric).  Having been through a lot of trouble while drinking a lot, he hasn’t seen his parents for six years.  After losing a lot of money six years ago, Elizabeth paid off Henri’s debts with the condition that he mustn’t see his parents nor Elizabeth.  Henri has kept his promise though the only family members he has contacted are Ivan and their cousin Simon (Laurent Capelluto).  Simon is a painter who has had a hard time dealing with alcoholism while helping out with his uncle Abel’s fabric dyeing plant.  Then one day, Paul decides to meet his uncle Henri revealing what’s happening to Junon as he asks him to attend the holidays.

After writing a letter to Elizabeth, Henri reveals he will be going since he and Paul are the only family members who have the blood type needed for Junon’s bone-marrow transplant.  Elizabeth dreads the day of Henri’s arrival as Ivan and his wife Sylvia (Chiara Mastroianni) arrive with Simon while Elizabeth arrives with Paul at the family home.  With Henri expected to arrive on Christmas Eve, he instead appears two days early with his girlfriend Faunia (Emmanuelle Devos) in tow.  His appearance has received mixed notices as Elizabeth remains cold towards him while Junon is aware that Henri hates her despite going along with the blood test.

With the days of Christmas and Christmas Eve approaching, everyone tries to get along though Henri doesn’t make it easy.  Even to the point when a visiting Claude decides to beat him up and leave for a day.  Even as Henri continues to drink while hide Paul’s medication with Paul becoming more nervous about being a donor and the idea that Henri might be his father.  Faunia spends time with the family as she goes to a museum where she finds Junon where the two went shopping.  When a friend of Abel’s mother Rosaimee (Francoise Bertin) visits for the holiday, she sees how much fun Henri and Ivan are having with fireworks while Simon is not involved as Sylvia notices.  Rosaimee reveals that Simon holds a torch for Sylvia.  Faunia leaves to be with her family though she had a good time despite all of the family drama that is happening. 

On Christmas Eve, the tension between Elizabeth and Henri is still boiling though things remain calm during the dinner until Simon disappears following Midnight Mass.  With Sylvia eventually finding him, Henri turns to Paul to help him calm down his fears as the family await the day of Junon’s surgery.

Most film about family gatherings during the Christmas holidays are often comical and at times, dramatic.  This film however, is different because it revolves around lots of family tension when its matriarch is suffering from a life-threatening disease.  Yet, the film opens with the tale of another member of the Vuillard family that isn’t seen.  The eldest child Joseph who died at the age of six as he is the source of grief for Elizabeth as she fears death and the source of guilt for Henri.  While Ivan wasn’t born when Joseph died, he is seen as the child that tries to be the mediator.

When they all get together, everything is tense though everyone is trying to get along.  It’s a film about family and their dysfunctions with one person in Faunia being the outsider.  While there’s a lot of drama and some moments of goofing off, it’s all about the possibility of spending the last Christmas with Junon as she faces her bone-marrow transplant from two family members.  Both of which, are messes in different ways.  The film’s screenplay does an excellent job in exploring the characters and their dysfunctions though it is flawed.  Even as some of the characters and their actions aren’t defined clearly.

Arnaud Desplechin’s direction is truly hypnotic for the way he captures many of the film’s intimate yet troubling scenes.  Particularly in the family drama where he can mix a scene of tension while inter-cutting it with something as innocent and comical.  The humor is subtle while the drama is mostly underplayed except for some of the actions of Henri.  Desplechin always keep the camera focused on what is happening and who the characters are looking at.  Even as he gives characters a chance to break the fourth wall either to reveal parts of their home or serving as narrators about the letters they’ve written.  The film’s opening begins with a funeral that is followed by a puppet-like play about the family and the loss of Joseph.  Though the running time of 152-minutes seems like a stretch and the film lags in some places.  Desplechin creates a solid yet provocative film about families during the holidays.

Cinematographer Eric Gautier brings a lush, colorful look to some of the film’s dream-like sequences and nighttime exteriors as it is shot on location in Roubaix.  Most of the daytime scenes is shot with a mixture of light-blue and gray for the mood of winter with some sunlight shown.  Gautier’s work is superb for its mood and dream-like textures for some of the film’s romantic or surreal moments from the perspective of Paul.  Editor Laurence Briaud does some excellent work with the film’s stylized editing while maintaining a leisured pace for the film though it does lag in some parts of the film.

Production designer Dan Bevan does a spectacular job with the look of the family home that is surrounded by pictures and all sorts of holiday stuff while maintaining a realness that families can relate to.  Costume designer Nathalie Raoul does a wonderful job with the costumes from the ragged look of Henri to the more regal look that Junon has with her dresses.  Sound editor Nicolas Cantin, along with mixers Sylvain Malbrant and Jean-Pierre Laforce, do some excellent work with the film’s sound to convey the atmosphere of the family home along with everything else outside of the home.  Music composer Gregoire Hetzel brings a lovely, elegant score that is a mixture of plaintive yet soft orchestral pieces and a harpsichord track that is really wonderful.  The rest of the film’s soundtrack is mostly filled with pop tunes and Xmas classics.

The cast is definitely wonderful with standouts from small appearances from Azize Kabouche as Elizabeth’s shrink and Samir Guesmi as Spatafora, a friend of the family that Ivan and Simon knew.  Thomas and Clemente Obled are wonderfully charming as the twin boys Basile and Baptiste with their joyful innocence while Emile Berling is great as the mentally-troubled Paul who is seeking some comfort from his family while dealing with his mother’s melancholic mood.  Hippolyte Giradot is excellent as Elizabeth’s husband Claude who despises Henri while he helps out Abel with the idea that Junon might live longer if she didn’t take the surgery immediately.  Laurent Capelluto is very good as Simon, a quiet artist who drinks to soothe his own issues while carrying a torch for Sylvia.  Emmanuelle Devos is also good as Faunia, Henri’s girlfriend who has a brief bond with Junon while trying to observe the chaos of Henri’s family.

Francoise Bertin is amazing in her small but memorable role as Rosaimee, an old friend of Abel’s mother who recalls the good days when Elizabeth, Henri, Ivan, and Simon were just kids.  Chiara Mastroianni is brilliant as Sylvia, Ivan’s wife who is not liked by Junon though is willing to be the joyful mom as she plays a princess for her twin boys’ play while dealing with Simon’s own feelings for her.  Melvil Poupaud is great as Ivan, the youngest child of the family who tries to help Paul while being a mediator between his siblings as he is also the most youthful and vibrant person in the family.  Jean-Paul Roussillon is wonderful as Abel, the patriarch of the family who is trying to deal with all of the family drama as well as his wife Junon as he and Catherine Deneuve have a great yet understated chemistry.

Anne Consigny is superb as Elizabeth, Paul’s melancholic mother who still holds a grudge towards her younger brother Henri.  Consigny’s performance is definitely marvelous to watch as someone trying to keep her cool while dealing with the idea that she might lose her mother sooner than she thought.  Mathieu Amalric is amazing as Henri, the middle child who is an admitted fuck-up while trying to deal with his own issues.  Amalric gives a performance that is both comical and dramatic where he can be charming but also play a dickhead.  It’s definitely a fun performance to watch. 

Finally, there’s the luminous Catherine Deneuve in a radiant performance as Junon.  Deneuve’s performance shows a regality that isn’t seen very much in a lot of actors or actresses as Deneuve plays it calm and with such subtlety as a woman who is aware that she might die.  Yet, she somehow accepts it somewhat along with the idea that she will be saved.  It’s definitely a performance that is filled with class and dignity and who better to show than the legendary Catherine Deneuve.

Un conte de Noel is a superb yet enchanting film from Arnaud Desplechin featuring top-notch performances from Catherine Deneuve, Mathieu Amalric, and Anne Consigny.  While some viewers might have a hard time understanding the characters along with how the French do Christmas.  It is still a film that people could relate to though it doesn’t have the kind of slapstick humor that most American viewers could familiarize with.  It’s definitely a film that truly captures the drama and hilarity of a family coming together for the holidays.  In the end, Un conte de Noel is a remarkable film from Arnaud Desplechin.

© thevoid99 2010