My Afternoons with Margeritte | Jean Becker

Sometimes, without realizing it, one stumbles upon a little gem of a film which will makes one wish it had not finished. Strangely enough, last time I did, it was upon another French film… I am not being fair, I think that I have encountered so many gems from France and elsewhere that I could probably barely count them on my fingers. Suffice to say that Jean Becker is the master of Gems since he directed two of my favorite French films – Children of the Marshlands (1999) and Conversations with My Gardener (2007). These three movies are pure wonders; indeed, they are small windows into ordinary lives of ordinary people who – when one looks carefully and with intent – turn out to be extraordinary people. The most amazing is the ease with which one can relate to the characters… therefore he’d have one believes that one is just as special. But once again, I am putting the carriage before the horses…

My Afternoons with Margueritte (there is no misspelling with the name, one gets the explanation of the spelling in the movie) is the story of Germain Chazes (Gérard Depardieu) who does seem to be a little stupid and extremely kind. He meets an old lady, Margueritte (Gisèle Casadesus) in the square and an unexpected tender friendship begins. She gives him the taste for reading – or rather to listen to her read to him at first; and he gives her his undivided attention. The film is however more than that… it is about relationships: the mother-son relationship he has – or rather lack, although he lives in his mother’s garden; the love relationship he has with Anette (Sophie Guillemin); the everyday relationships he has with his comrades – mostly at the ‘Café – Restaurant’ – Landremont (Patrick Bouchitey), Jojo (Jean-François Stevenin), Gardini (François-Xavier Demaison), Youssef (Lyès Salem) and the restaurant owner Francine (Maurane).

Jean Becker has beautifully adapted Marie-Sabine Roger’s novel – ‘La Tête en Friche’ published 2008, Ud-Union Distribution – and has become a brilliant portrait painter with ‘My Afternoons with Margueritte’. Each portrait is perfect with its imperfections and that is what makes them so humanly beautiful. The story telling is so good, that one gets to feel every mistake, self-doubt, joy and tenderness. There is a scene at the market that made me wish I would be there… but I was. The dialogues by Jean-Loup Dabadie (‘César and Rosalie’, 1972) are witty, funny and delivered with such conviction and talent that it is extremely enjoyable to watch. Served by exquisite performances, this is a film about everyday’s life of an ordinary man – turning out to be much more than the simpleton everyone think he is – and whose heart is so big and filled with love that he becomes extraordinary. ‘My Afternoons with Margueritte’ is fresh and beautiful… I warmly recommend it.

The Straight Story | David Lynch

Dedication

… to my dear fellow poet Colin Stewart, aka EPIGRAMMAN…
Since you are the one who inspired me to write this review – this being related to all the questions you are asking us to answer ^_^. Hopefully, this one is the first of a long series… depending on a few factors…

There are movies that cannot leave you alone no matter the amount of years that passed since they were made – in that case 12 years… Though I am not so fond of labels, I suppose that this is what one calls a classic. I talked so much about that movie lately that it showed on telly last night. I had missed the beginning, but believe me, it is not a big deal.
Based on a true story, it tells the one of Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) – a 73 years old man – who sets out to visit his brother in another state. Alvin has glaucoma and bad hips… He is a veteran of World Word II, widowed with seven children; he leaves with his daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek) in Laurens, Iowa. When Alvin hears that his brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton) had a stroke, he decides to put ten years of freezing one another behind him, and go check on him. It is no ‘biggies’, you’d say; for Alvin, however, it was. Indeed, without a driver license and not willing to let anybody drive him, the odds of leaving Laurens were pretty slim… until he found the solution. Alvin Straight set out to cross an entire state on his lawn mower pulling a home-made trailer and visit Lyle Straight in Mount Zion, Wisconsin.

Now, according to the ‘cost 2 drive’ website, such a trip – 377 miles – should take about 6 hrs 29 mins. Alvin travelled for weeks, as you can well-imagine. During his journey, he crossed the paths of different people that he helps out with his wisdom; people help him too when his machine breaks down. This is a compassionate movie made the way life is – for most of us. The sound is not always great, but it gives the viewer a chance to feel part of the movie somehow… for instance, when the characters are far from the camera, so are the dialogues – I am so grateful for the subtitles. The budget was estimated at 10,000,000 dollars (according to imdb), so I do not think the sound was an error of edition, but rather intentional. David Lynch wanted the viewer to experience the story (same source). In my case, the bet is won Mr Lynch!

The original soundtrack, composed by Angelo Badalamenti, is a beauty and I would advise to try and get a hold of it while you can because I consider it a rare treasure… although I might not be very objective here.

This is not a high-tempo movie, but a laid-back journey. The photography is absolutely gorgeous (director of photography: Freddie Francis). The rural landscapes of Wisconsin are something else! Richard Farnsworth did a superb job in impersonating Alvin Straight, I thought… but, once again, I might be biased here and since I did not personally know the real Alvin Straight, my guess is as good as any. Nonetheless, Richard’s facial expressions, his eyes and the way he breathed… without saying a word and yet, one could feel and think with the character. When he spoke, I felt like listening to my dear grandfather telling of his imprisonment during WWII. The scene in the pub, between Alvin and Verlyn Heller (Wiley Harker), when both characters talk about an episode of WWII that they cannot ‘shake off’… strong, tears bringing moment. Amazing performances!

Tears are not bad, because they are coming from so many different emotions. The Straight Story is that… shared emotions and a journey that cannot leave you indifferent. If you have not seen this movie, I strongly recommend that you do because it is a beautiful experience.

Eat Pray Love | Ryan Murphy

How is it that very often books’ adaptation to the big screen are attracting so many people? Are we all growing that lazy that we do not bother reading books any more? Maybe… maybe not. One thing is certain, at least for my part, I always end-up buying the books ^_^

Now, Julia Roberts is unhappy… or at least her character Liz is: married and unhappy! It can happen to the best. She works the courage to do something about it and embarks in a journey of self-discovery… in Italy, in India and in Bali. It is weird how most of it talked to me.

Well anyway, I think that this is the best role Roberts ever had (with Erin Brockovich). The actors and actresses are completing each other without effort and it is a real joy to watch that movie, literally. I was a bit disappointed when it ended. “Eat Pray Love” is a typical feel good movie and I will buy the book by Elizabeth Guilbert. I loved the movie however I am not sure I would have if I had read the book first.

To be honest, I could not say much about it without revealing the story. “Eat Pray Love” is an experience in itself and none of you would like me to spoil it for you, now would you.
/Claire

“Eat Pray Love” by Ryan Murphy

Nothing but the truth | Rod Lurie

Journalistic freedom… to protect a source. This it the main theme of that surprisingly good movie. Inspired by true events, the characters are however entirely fictional.  Rachel Armstrong (Kate Beckinsale) is a reporter who uncovers the identity of a female CIA agent thanks to a mysterious source. Prosecuted by Patton Dubois (Matt Dillon) for compromising “Homeland Security”, she sacrifices everything she has, including her marriage, to protect her source. The movie is the story of her struggle against the hardships she has to face to remain true to her principles.

Though everything is against her; and the prosecutor seems to be THE bad guy… it is more complicated than that. As a viewer, it is very difficult to choose a side as every point made throughout the movie makes sense.

It is an important movie that cannot be missed. As a journalist, Rachel has one goal: tell the truth as she believes too many secrets are going on and being covered by her government. By doing so, she compromised the security of the CIA agent she puts in the spotlights. As a consequence, events unfold against her. According to Patton, she endangered the security of the country and for that she is imprisoned until she agrees to yield and reveal the name of the “traitor” who gave her such a vital information. The movie goes beyond right and wrong… until the end, the viewer is kept wondering about the source… one cannot help feeling compassionate for Rachel… her stubbornness is often very frustrating as one sees her family falling apart because of her decision.

The movie shows that the freedom of the press is nothing but an illusion… abuse of such freedom by the media has been seen so often. The consequences can be harsch for those concerned by what is revealed. The truth at any cost… how good can it be? Though without truth, how can a people trust its leaders? There is such a fine line in the world of information. We are never told the entire truth, between sensorship and journalistic interpretation, news are but subjective for the purpose of those who spread them.

Truth… secrecy… integrity of such a controversial profession… Nothing but the truth did not give me any answer… it did not leave me bitter either. Truth is a responsibility to take on as a whole, with consequences sometimes unforeseen. In the end, one must do ones best to follow the guidelines one set for ones life… though nobody said it was easy.

www.imdb.com/title/tt1073241/ 

The Fox and the Child | Luc Jacquet

When it comes to show nature in all its splendour, French movie makers are among the best to do so. Indeed in 2001, Jacques Perrin mesmerized us with “Winged Migration”. Then in 2003, Luc Jacquet amazed us with “Marsh of the Penguins” and won an Oscar as well as 11 other awards. In 2007, he came back with a wonderful tale… maybe a children’s tale… yet, everybody should have a look at it…

He is telling a tale of an amazing, yet pretty unlikely, friendship between: “The fox and the child”. A breath-taking photography brings the viewer along on a wonderful journey in French mountains (though for the needs of the movie, was shot in France, Italy and Romania).

Nature like you’d dream to witness and a friendship that very few of us can relate to! Furthermore, Luc Jacquet proves once again that there is nothing more beautiful than untouched wilderness… taming becoming an illusion and that one can never bottle up Nature. “I mistook possession for love.” would say the grown up child…

This is an unforgettable story… an unmissable experience…

www.imdb.com/title/tt0756648/