Film Blog / Right

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Happy Go Lucky!

Everyone seemed to enjoy the film Orchestra Seats by Danièle Thompson.  It’s a movie that puts a smile on my face and reminds me of what it’s like to be in love, to win and lose in love and life, and how to do it gracefully.

One of the audience members asked whether the shrine shown in a couple of the scenes in the movie was the one dedicated to Princess Diana. I had not noticed it until she mentioned it, and when she came back described it to me in more detail, I looked for it again on my DVD at home.

Et voilà! Our viewer was right on!  I have included a picture of the shrine above and a link to a couple of websites with some more background information on it.  From the Wikipedia site you can also follow links to the ‘pont d’Alma’ and the ‘8th arrondissement’ where the film was shot.

Thanks for noticing this detail.  It’s where the pianist and his wife finally reunite.

Anthony’s Home page

Wikipedia

In the next few posts, I hope to cull together some of the things we learned during the festival thanks to the rich and frank discussions we had with the viewers.  Please stop by and comment if you can, and share your own thoughts and experiences with us.

Thank you!

Crossing cultures is most definitely exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. There is always something new to learn, a faux pas to avoid, and a constant struggle to understand and evaluate how far we are willing to venture in our appreciation, tolerance and acceptance of the socio-linguistic and cultural elements often foreign and strange to us. Yet, the moment we successfully get through an interaction, the satisfaction we experience seems to make the effort worthwhile.

Words carry the weight of a society and of the individual, and since in and of themselves they are arbitrary symbols, it is always a challenging task to know what the same word might convey in different settings, especially when one is an outsider.

The films screened at the festival this year included representations of life in a variety of settings and thus a diverse range of language use: the French spoken in the elite-high-end sections of Paris, the French spoken in la banlieue parisienne, the French of times gone-by, the French spoken by students, the French average adults use in their daily lives, the French spoken in Belgium, as well as the languages connected to French and the French-speaking world owing to colonialism and modern immigration patterns including, as represented in the film picks, Albanian, Russian, Arabic, Romanian, and Romani.

Needless to say, not only did the different languages and registers convey a sense of place and time but also of the particular type of cultural group they represent. As viewers, we might relish as much in hearing the words “chéri”  as we might in “putain,” given that both words in their own particular way communicate a sense of the French world to us. It’s clear that “chéri” is much easier to understand and use than “putain.”  It’s more widely recognized, its connotation is usually positive, it belongs to a ’standard’ register, all of which make the word an easy bridge to cross. “Putain,” however, is a word that literally translates to “prostitute.” Most of us would not use such a word, but in contemporary France, this word can be used to mean any of the following: damn, ‘damn it !’, or the ‘F’ word.’  It also often expresses happiness, as in, “putain mais c’est trop cool!!!!” –”damn, this is too cool!!” or disgust, as in “putain c’est la galère!!!”– “damn, this is the pits!” Depending on who we are, we may or may not appreciate or employ this word.  This becomes especially challenging for second language speakers often unaware of the nuances of the same word.

A couple of our audience members were extremely offended by the language use in the film “Gadjo Dilo aka Crazy Stranger,” and let us know about it.  It included a liberal smattering of swear words used in the common parlance of the Roma people as well as French swear words commonly used by the French in informal settings.

We would like our patrons to know that we acknowledge and respect their reactions and comments.  We also hope that the this post is helpful in placing the film into a larger perspective. The library supports the rights of individuals to decide if they would like to watch a film, or a read a given text.  To this end, all the films shown are thoroughly reviewed and documented in the library’s film blog. We respect that an individual might find the language or themes of any given text or film offensive and also respect when they get up and leave the auditorium. At the same time, the library is committed to allowing and encouraging the expression of all material that is widely recognized as is the case of the film in question, Gadjo Dilo, celebrated and honored by the some of the world’s most prestigious film awards.

With the intent to continue the dialog and learning, I would like to share an excerpt from a memoir written by Dr. Alice Kaplan, the John M. Musser Professor of French at Yale University. It’s a great book, a great story, and it’s real.

Kaplan excerpt pp. 180-181

Finally, a comment on the title of this post, “Stinky Feet.”  One of the members of the audience who is from China shared with us several wonderful examples of the intricacies of language and how easy it is to be become offended by words in a language that we don’t know. I remember one of her examples. She asked whether anyone in the audience would ever think that calling someone (a child, I think) “stinky feet” could be one of the worst things you could say to that person?  I find that hard to believe but I take her word for it.  Thanks for that lesson, and send in more, please!

Thank you all for coming to the festival to watch films together.  What a wonderful audience!  In the next couple of days, I will be putting together some thoughts on what we saw and discussed.  I look forward to hearing from you!  Stop by and drop a line on the blog, anytime!

Merci encore!

A day like today is perfect for splish-sploshing through puddles, getting wet, and singing in the rain, just singing in the rain…. la la la…

OR

You could beat the rain, and come join us in the cozy Community Room for four ‘fenomenal’ french flicks… and more crêpes by Marianne!

We hope to see you there!

Below are pics of the directors featured in the festival.  Clicking on each picture will take you to their movie and all its relevant details.

Click here for the festival schedule–LIST VIEW Click here for the festival schedule–CALENDAR VIEW Frequently Asked Questions Crêpes, etc.!

Marianne will be back with her delicious Crêpes de France for CROSSINGS, the French Film Festival.  I caught up with her this weekend at the Farmer’s Market in the Peninsula Center and she let me take her picture! A bientôt, Marianne!

There will be a crêpe sale set up in front of the library during the entire duration of the French Film Festival.  It’s the fastest, easiest, and Frenchest option for a quick bite during a break or lunch! Get yourself a sweet or savory crêpe and listen to French music as you enjoy your treat!

We’re also including other local eateries that are right next door, or a few blocks away, depending on how much time you decide to spend on meals before, after, or in between films!

Don’t forget!  Saturday Lunch is 45 min

THE FAST AND EASY OPTION

1.  Crêpes–sweet and savory–for sale at our booth outside the library available all three days!

OTHER OPTIONS…

700 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 541-1411‎ 3. Bamboo Song Restaurant‎ (Vietnamese) (Menu)

602 Deep Valley Dr, Rolling Hills Estates, CA‎ – (310) 541-9050‎ 4. Mike’s Brickwalk Café‎ (Menu)

815 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates, CA‎ – (310) 377-5757‎ 5. Grill du Chateau‎ (French) 

767 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates, CA‎ – (310) 265-0914‎‎ 6. Cafe Cegos Inc‎ (Menu)

777 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 541-2600‎ 7. Red Onion‎ (Mexican) (Menu)

736 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 377-5660‎ 8. Bristol Farms Café‎ (Menu)

837 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills Estates, CA‎ – (801) 825-7308‎ 9. Noah’s Bagels‎ (Menu)

895 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 541-7824‎

There are many other eateries a little further away but still nearby, if you’d like to spend leisure time before you catch the next film!

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 544-6700‎ Peninsula Grill‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 544-3985‎ Rubio’s Fresh Mexican Grill

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 265-7718‎‎ Ruby’s Diner‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 544-7829‎ Red Brick Pizza‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 544-4040‎ Cold Stone Creamery‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 265-2563‎ Cafe Ceramic‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 265-7402‎ Great Wraps‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 265-2510‎ Borders Bookstore and Café‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates, CA‎ – (310) 544-4678‎ Starbucks‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 265-8071‎ Lotus Garden‎

550 Deep Valley Drive, Rolling Hills Estates, CA‎ – (310) 544-0848‎ Frascati Restaurant‎

550 Deep Valley Dr. #145, Rolling Hills Estate, CA‎ – (310) 541-8800‎ Giorgio’s Restaurant‎

672 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 265-9970‎ Domino’s Pizza‎

404 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hills, CA‎ – (310) 544-1445‎ Jamba Juice‎

435 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 265-7603‎ Kiku Sushi‎

871 Silver Spur Road, Rolling Hls Ests, CA‎ – (310) 544-1070‎ Pinkberry‎

27 Peninsula Center, Rolling Hills Estates, CA‎ – (310) 544-2182‎ La Rive Gauche‎ (FRENCH CUISINE) you need time for this place!

320 Tejon Pl, Palos Vrds Ests, CA‎ – (310) 378-0267‎

And there are many more… just ask the locals!

Here are a couple of maps to help get you oriented with lay of the land!

MAIN FESTIVAL PAGE

Why are the films not advertised with their names? There are no titles provided in the newspaper…

We respect public performance rights. Our license gives us permission to publicize the films freely inside the library, but out side the library premises, we do not have the permission to cite titles. So we paraphrase.

What is the price of the tickets?

There are no tickets! The movies are free of charge and open to the public.

Do I have to reserve a seat?

No, there are no reservations.  If there are a lot of people waiting, we might request you to make a line to enter. There is 100 person seating capacity.

Why can’t I go into the viewing room half an hour or fifteen minutes before the start of a film?

There is a discussion going on that is disrupted by people walking in.  We have reserved 10 min for transitions.  In some cases there is more time.  Please check the schedule.

There are people walking out, does that not mean it’s over?

No, it may just mean that they are leaving without participating in the discussion.  Perhaps they’re not interested or they want a longer break before coming back for the next film.

May I enter the community room while a film is playing, or enter late?

Yes, you may as long as there are seats available, and that is usually not a problem.  But you may not enter during the discussion portion of the film if you weren’t already watching the film.

Why are the breaks so short?

We have shorter breaks so that we can accommodate more movies over the duration of the festival.

We don’t expect everyone to stay for all the films.

Where are the restrooms?

As you exit the Community Room, they’re down the hall to the left.

Will my car be locked in if it’s late and the library closes while we are still discussing a film?

No, the entrance to the parking may be closed after hours, but you will always be able to exit.

Do you provide child-care?

Sorry, not at this time.

Are films OK for children to watch?

Foreign films do not follow the same rating system as in the US. When distributed in the US, there is usually a rating imposed by the MPAA but the ultimate decision of whether or not the film is appropriate for children is a personal decision every parent/guardian must make.  Please check the website for detailed information and reviews.

Do the films have subtitles?

Yes, all films have subtitles.

Do you provide snacks?

There are going to be crêpes for sale all THREE DAYS of the festival. They will be available for purchase at the crêpe booth just outside the library. There are snack vending machines on the 1st floor of the library building, and you are welcome to bring your own snacks and consume them in the community room.

MAIN FESTIVAL PAGE

There are few ways of transmitting the final news. Eric Rohmer, born Maurice Schérer, the internationally acclaimed French New Wave film director, died Jan 11 2010, aged 89.

It was in the mid 80’s and I was barely 20 when I was introduced to Eric Rohmer’s films.  I was living in New Delhi, India at the time and attending the Alliance Française de Delhi. The Alliance presented a retrospective on Rohmer and I remember that none of the films had subtitles. I saw each film twice straining my language learning ears to understand the sounds and absorb the meanings.  I had never seen films like that before and was both troubled by and drawn toward them at the same time.

Years later, I became aware that those experiences had a deep impact on my psyche and worldview.

Here are a few articles and obituaries in English and French that I append for your perusal. If you have suggestions for articles to include, I would greatly welcome them.

English
IMDB
The Auteurs
NPR Blogs
NY Times
NY Times

French
Le Monde
Le Monde
France 3

The team consisting of Matthew Bloch, Amanda Cox, Jo Craven McGinty and Kevin Quealy at The New York Times examined Netflix rental patterns, neighborhood by neighborhood, in a dozen cities across the nation.

I was drawn to the regional differences in rental patterns of Netflixers more than the data about the most rented films.

It is clear that the most rented films may not be the ones that receive the highest metacritic scores (another sorting option) and some of the less rented titles boast really high metacritic scores (films I like to watch ).  It’s interesting to note which among the most rented also receive the highest metacritic scores and the ones among the least rented the lowest metacritic scores.

Should you choose to click on this link and land on the interactive map, I recommend you try sorting by metacritic score and most rented, then slide the pointer all the way to the right and back again while keeping an eye on the titles in big font. It’s like a crude animated version of titles flashing by really fast.  A fly-by view, if you will.

Check out New in Town (score of 29) in the Minneapolis area–it’s hot!!  That’s about the only area in the country that wants to watch it!

The Visitor– a great film–with a metacritic score of 79 was rented m0re in the Boston area than in the NY area. It has a scatter pattern I don’t quite understand, almost like some folks just did not hear about it, or if they did, then I don’t know why they did not see it!

Wall-E–with a metacritic score of 94 was not in demand in the Miami area.  What’s up with that?

Frozen River–we just presented it in December–was not a rental favorite anywhere (i.e, did not figure in the top 50).  It carries a metacritic score of 82.  It got more exposure in the Boston area than the NY area. It’s filmed in the state of NY.

The metacritic score for Julie and Julia is 66. For Burn After Reading, it’s 63 and for Valkyrie and Twilight, it’s 56.  The difference in the frequency of rental is huge. Guess which one is the least rented among these?  Yes, Julie and Julia. Great film!

Seven Pounds has a score of 36 and it’s among the top ten in rental. I gave that movie a miss, and I like Will Smith.

Still, the ones with high scores (at least 60) that were also profusely rented included The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire, Gran Torino, Doubt, Burn After Reading, The Wrestler, Milk, I love you, Man, The Soloist, The Dark Knight, Revolutionary Road, Wanted, Rachel Getting Married, Role Models, Frost.Nixon, State of Play, Pineapple Express, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Neglected films that need to be given a chance, more than a chance:  Man on Wire, The Visitor, Coraline, Frozen River, Happy-Go-Lucky (Ciné-Monde’s pick for March 2010!), Julie and Julia, Cadillac Records, and Adventureland.

The only foreign language film that made it to this list was I’ve Loved You So Long.

This is a review sent to me by my virtual Facebook friend, Bidisha Bagchi. We have never met or talked face to face and only recently started to get to know each other via FB. Enjoy!

“This is not a spoiler but a general review of the film. For enjoying the film, please watch it at the theatre or on dvd.

Those of you who are in touch with ‘Bollywood’ films would probably agree to the fact that Rajkumar Hirani is a natural storyteller and when he combines his spontaneity with Aamir Khan, one of the finest actors of the Indian screen and a perfectionist, the result is sheer magic….3 idiots is the result of this ‘magic.’

The film is scripted jointly by Hirani himself and Abhijat Joshi. The story revolves around three friends from three different spheres of life; Rancho (Aamir Khan) the rich and brilliant kid, Raju Rastogi (Sharman Joshi) the boy from a middle class family with retired parents and a sister to be wed  and Farhan Qureshi (R Madhavan) a simple boy who takes up to study Engineering because his parents wants him to.

Rancho, Raju & Farhan are freshers in the most prestigious Engineering College of the country. They are roommates and enjoy a fine rapport among themselves. Rancho disagrees with the system of education in the college where the ‘bookish’ culture prevails. He doesn’t define a ‘machine’ in the language of engineering but explains day to day activities in life to explain what a ‘machine’ is and when confronted by the teacher he tries to define a ‘book’ in the same language. It is a hilarious scene and keeps the Indian audience thinking. He even indirectly blames the college principal for the suicide of a fellow student who was under tremendous mental pressure of not being able to complete a project in time, thus earning enough wraths for himself from Virus, as they call their principal Viru Sahasrabudhhe (Boman Irani).

The story rolls on fluently as the audience experiences different emotional and funny moments through the movie. Farhan’s dream to become a wild life photographer and Raju’s lack of confidence in life and Rancho’s brilliance in applying ‘the knowledge of Science’ in everything is all so well portrayed, with no exaggeration of facts or scenes. Hirani is known for his flawless editing from the ‘Munnabhai’ days and it is once again proved.

Kareena Kapoor has always excelled when she has a ‘down to earth’ role to play, be it in Chameli or even Omkara. Even though she doesn’t have a major role here, she carries it pretty well and excels here too as Pia, a medical student and the daughter of the principal. She is also Rancho’s love interest; a love that never uses the ‘I love you’ phrase yet speaks volumes on it. A typical Bollywood style ‘chiffon saree clad’ rain dance kind of scene appears from nowhere, but it doesn’t spoil the mood of the film. The song is beautiful but not well picturised, could have been done better. But again, Hirani’s films do not have great song & dance scenes ever.

The surprise element is perhaps Chatur Ramalingam (Omi Vaidya) the nerd who is Rancho’s rival and loathes him for topping all exams inspite of fooling around. This is Omi’s first venture into the world of Bollywood and it goes without saying that he just does a fantastic job. His expressions of frustration, the glee in being the teacher’s favorite and his jealousies are all very well expressed. The way he reads out the ‘teachers’ day’ speech without even understanding what he was reading was acted out excellently leaving the audience roaring with laughter.

There is a small flaw in the film but to me it is certainly pardonable keeping in mind the amount of absurdities we see in our films. It’s the scene where engineering students (Rancho, Raju & Farhan) deliver a baby for  Mona (Pia’s sister) with the help of a webcam, a vacuum cleaner, invertor and instructions from the would be Doctor Pia.

The catch phrase of the film ‘aal izz well’ is used well and has perhaps become very popular among everyone.

Aamir Khan is superb, as usual. His emotions, whether it’s funny or sad or serious, are all expressed so perfectly that it leaves the audience asking for more from this genius. Joshi, Madhavan, Kareena, Omi, the nerd and the principal support him throughout the film by their excellent individual performances. The dialogues are warm, witty, hilarious and sometimes a little ‘raw’ but it goes perfectly with the script and is just fantastic.

As I wrote earlier, Hirani’s films are not really known for its music or dance, so Shantanu Moitra does his job pretty well in a couple of foot tapping music in ‘Aal izz well’ and the ‘Zoobi Doobi’ numbers.

Kudos to the cinematographer CK Muralidharan for taking the audience on a visual trip to Ladakh…the lake and the mountains just look fabulous.

Finally, the film is said to be loosely based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel ‘Five Point someone’ and there were lot of controversies earlier regarding this, fortunately it has all died down.

Overall, a fantastic film that makes the audience think, laugh, cry and at the end say ‘Aal izz Well’ (all is well).”

~ Bidisha Bagchi

Bidisha–I can say quite confidently that the friendship and collegiality are more actual than virtual to me! Thanks so much for sending this in!

Details on IMDB

Restez branchés, le programme des films sera bientôt affiché (Stay tuned!)

Tagore in Berlin; from Wikipedia

Those who know about the Nobel Prize Winner for Literature, Rabindranath Tagore, are probably familiar with his bold writings about the status of women. Chokher Bali–A Passion Play, first published in 1903, is certainly a story about women, but it is much more than the widow emancipation saga some critics make it out to be.

One hundred years later, Rituparno Ghosh, one of the most famous if not the most famous of all Bengali directors, interpreted this novel for the silver screen in 2003.

For me, the protagonist, Binodini, and her evolution represent a frank portrayal of the psyche of women including, of course, its entanglements with society. The commentary about the social conditions is provided to us by the narrator who lets us know that the young Binodini was previously rejected by a couple of men before becoming a widow soon after marriage. We also know that Binodini received some early education from an English lady, pointing to a partial source of her liberal view of life.

For those of us who did not experience first-hand or otherwise the condemnation bestowed upon widows by society, it is hard–though not impossible–to imagine what life would look like to a woman in her prime.

Binodini is intelligent, beautiful, and skilled in many ways. She lets us in on her sexual desires as she charms Mahendra into her snare, which is remarkable, yes, for Mahendra is one of the men who had rejected her hand in marriage based on a photograph his mother showed him. But the nod to the existence of a sexual self in women and the right to nourish it,  while remarkable in itself and an immediate hook, can easily stray the audience into wanting to believe that that’s what it’s all about.  As remarkable as they creep up as if from nowhere are Binodini’s unwillingness and ultimate refusal to chop her hair as per tradition, her jealousies, her denial about the havoc she wreaks on a married couple’s life… She engages in a power struggle with Ashalata–quickly becoming the nagging particle of sand in her eyes–in order to win over Asha’s husband, Mahendra. She also becomes wrapped in the affections offered to her by Behari, Mahendra’s friend, a more progressive man.

Instead of portraying Binodini as the victim widow swathed in white who finally liberates herself, Tagore, and, in turn, director Rituparno Ghosh paint her in all the colors that make up the glory of a woman. The darker colors give her character a depth that makes her jump off the screen and into our own psyche.

As shown in the film, Binodini finally triumphs and finds her voice as it were by walking out on everyone to lead her own independent life. In Tagore’s novel, the story ends with Binodini repenting for the heartache she causes. It has been said that Tagore regretted the ending he gave his novel. That’s because he was made to realize that his heroine remained subjugated in the end, still a prisoner of the mores and guilt imposed on her by society. Having said that, I wasn’t that thrilled by Rituparno Ghosh’s ending either, because while I understand his ending is a metaphor for female emancipation, it does not ring true. It does not ring true to the time period of the story. Sure, he has the artistic license to make changes and fine tune elements so that they better match viewer expectations and more accurately reflect the societal conditions today.

The sand particle in my eye is that this ending short changes the psyche that Tagore was trying to build. The finale would be more convincing and powerful were it to continue past the point where she walks out into the sunrise of a new day. The complex character development deserves a more complex ending than the Hollywood bytes we get. Still, for those who may be wondering, this is not a typical Bollywood production. Au contraire! It also has a musical score that is superb. I thoroughly enjoyed the film.

Aishwarya Rai, in the role of Binodini, is wonderful. They had to dub her voice as her Bengali is not as hot as her acting is. I am attaching links to two beautifully and passionately expressed blogposts by Abhinav Maurya and Amit Chaudhri.

Rabindra Sangeet

Tagore's signature

Being 15 again. Ah!

When you think back to that time, you probably end up with a bag of mixed emotions: deciding who you wanted to be, or who you thought you already were, loving and hating yourself, questioning authority, societal norms and life in general, tossing back and forth between euphoria and depression thanks to the hormonal changes, exploring sexuality, dreams, warts, and all.

As the title of the film suggests, XXY explores adolescent identity formation chez Alex (our protagonist played by Inez Efron) with the added challenge of the status of intersex, (a person with both male and female genitals), who has been living as a girl and using medicines to suppress masculine features. We join the story at the point where Alex has recently quit taking her meds. It addresses how a family comes to grip with some important decisions that Alex needs to make, and how they confront societal violence.

In this independent directorial debut, Lucía Puenzo tackles a subject few have dared to address on film or otherwise. Her presentation of the subject matter is thoughtful and empathetic, not a freak show intended to shock and create controversy. Her bold yet delicate storytelling and character portrayal techniques transport us to a place where we are able to visualize and accept gender and sexuality as malleable instead of brittle, where we strive to protect instead of punish and support instead of shame, where there is hope for the survival and thriving of unique species.

Thank you, Ms. Puenzo!

This film is distributed in the US by Film Movement, a company not covered under our public performance rights license.

No sugar plum fairies, no Santa, no caroling.

Still, this Christmas Tale is magical. The Christmas tree, sumptuous dinner, brightly wrapped gifts, and music, are  all there, but they serve mostly as background.  The color that most characterizes this Christmas story is blue.  And I don’t mean sky blue, midnight blue, or royal blue. I mean THE BLUES.

Oh yeah, the Vuillard family has the Christmas blues alright.  The matriarch figure (Catherine Deneuve) has been diagnosed with lymphoma and needs a quick bone marrow transplant from a family member if they want her to live a little more than what her doctors have allowed her. Her fatal diagnosis can easily be seen as the reason for the season, right? the season that provides the opportunity or excuse for giving? Wrong. The urgency and weight of the mother’s needs does not necessarily bring out the best in everyone.

Instead, anxiety and past rancour, nourished by parasitic personal insecurities, rapidly multiply like malignant cells, breaking through to the surface as they might during a time of high emotion but not in they way the Vuillard family might have expected. The family reunites after five years, and the communication is suddenly simple and uninhibited. It’s breathtakingly magical to witness such candor within the intimate setting of a big family dinner.

The Vuillard family members, in all their insanity, are intelligent and classy. Perhaps, it’s their observations of the tiniest of details, superb analyses, and precise dissections of each others’ and their own personalities that so well explain their madness. And thus, director Arnaud Desplechin succeeds in bringing everyone together around the core issue — the marrow, if you will.

Desplechin tries to cover all the grounds, and I think he succeeds. The characters are chiseled to perfection. Like an ice sculpture, they have enough crackle and sparkle in them to dazzle us, and yet as we get to know them, we feel them softening at the edges, melting under our very eyes. Both Mathieu Amalric (Henri) and Anne Consigny (Elisabeth) playing the alienated brother-sister duo are winners. We never really find out what made Catherine Deneuve (Junon) marry someone like Jean-Paul Roussillon (Abel) but we’re supposed keep guessing. And it doesn’t really matter. Their characters provide a contrast that is solid enough to lend itself to interesting conversation. Deneuve deals with her illness devoid of any emotion (that she is wiling to reveal), as her own doctor does, with a sang-froid that leaves us wondering about our own mortality. Her approach makes the event memorable for viewers in a novel way instead of the usual sugar-coated pitiful nonsense that often does not amount to much translated into real terms.

Visually and viscerally, we’re supposed to feel the natural anxiety that accompanies the characters’ state of mind. Desplechin achieves this by constantly changing and juxtaposing perspectives leaving us wondering about whose voice we should put our faith in.  None, of course, and all of them, since it’s the tension between the characters’ viewpoints that holds us in thrall and helps us suspend judgement. Sometimes the characters talk to us directly, sometimes, they address us in a flashback, and sometimes the narrator vies for our attention. Likewise, Desplechin puts the screenplay and music to work toward the same end.

The multiplicity of experience and, therefore, of truth, is an apt metaphor and message for the season. There’s all kinds that make this world go around, enjoy them for what they are.

The film is brainy and hard to follow in the first few minutes because of all the information the viewer has to swallow quickly and digest even faster. I like that in a movie.

It’s what I call a REAL French movie. Salty, bitter, and very tasty.

I would so like to show this movie but we don’t have rights to films produced or distributed by IFC.  C’est la vie!