Can't help feeling that this ought to have been more absorbing than it was. All the ingredients are there, with Kristin Scott Thomas doing her increasingly frequent Gallic turn again.But the main focus of the film is on her partner, Jean-Pierre Bacri's lecturer on Oriental social attitudes and conventions to business men and women whose employment takes them eastwards. He has a prickly relationship with his father, an influential judge, whom he tries to persuade, or at least make time for, a case of a young lady he only knows by name but is in France illegally and at risk of being deported. He coincidentally meets a young 20-year old female on the street and is captivated by her. Need I say more? I think not.
I found it all a bit on the dull side. The best parts for me were the main character's continually frustrated attempts to reach his father and persuade him to give time to considering his 'case'. There is also a slight and sometimes amusing gay angle, but I wouldn't give that aspect undue importance.
An oddly leaden film, it's not one I'd readily recommend................4/10.
lol I saw despicable me 2 at the cinema at the weekend. loved it. 7/10
ReplyDeletenot very highbrow
Sounds like one I might miss.
ReplyDeleteRe: another recent post of yours, however, I saw an television ad yesterday for "The World's End" opening this weekend. I'll try to get there
Sol - thanks for that, but I didn't really have any intention of seeing 'Despicable Me 2', as even I have some limits! Not to say that it would necessarily be bad, but circumstances compel me to enforce some sort of discretion when deciding which films to see or to miss. But I do note your high score for it.
ReplyDeleteH.K. - Since I wrote this posting yesterday evening I've had the gnawing thought that I was being overly harsh in my verdict. But as it was my immediate reaction I'll leave it standing.
For any fans of KST, as I am, I ought to point out that her appearances are much more frequent in the first part of the film, after which she only makes it on screen occasionally only very briefly.
If you make it to 'World's End' I'd be most interested in reading your reaction. I think it's what we'd regard as an 'essentially British' film (whatever that means), though I'm not sure that what we call 'pub crawls' have ever been quite in vogue in other countries as they are here - though, I ought to stress, only the younger set tend to do them, and then by no means everyone.
That's too bad Ray as I usually really enjoy anything French with KST. I suppose that we're all entitled to an off day. I may catch it on DVD when it's released.
ReplyDeleteI have the DVD of The Place Beyond the Pines arriving today. I'm looking forward to it (because of Ryan Gosling) although I'm not altogether convinced that I'm going to like it! We'll see.
Craig, I think my view of 'Hortense' is a minority one. So don't take extra notice of what I say.
ReplyDeleteThere's no doubt I'd like to see 'Pines' again. I hope you find it was worthwhile as I did.