Summary
Paul lives with his young wife Marguerite and his father, an illegal Greek immigrant,
in Montreal. He works as a zoo keeper and occupies himself with his infant son from
an earlier marriage, who is seriously ill in hospital. One day, after five years
of contented married life, Paul realises that his marriage is falling apart. Marguerite
has started to lead a secret life which leads her further and further from her husband...
Review
Bertrand Bonello makes an impressive directoral début with this perceptive and
poignant study of a young married couple drifting apart. Although the film is far
from perfect (it is unevenly paced and appears overly self-indulgent in many places),
it tackles its subject with sensitivity, depth and honesty.
The film’s impact derives mainly from the moody performances from its lead actors Romane
Bohringer and Laurent Lucas. The calibre of the acting, coupled with unhurried pace
of the film, allows the audience to form a rapport with the two main characters, heightening
the film’s tragic poignancy.
Unfortunately, the film does suffer from some noticeable faults, which together makes
this a difficult film to digest. The long silent breaks in the narrative slow
the pace and give the spectator ample opportunity to lose interest. This is particularly
noticeable in the latter part of the film, where the absence of any coherent dialogue
makes Marguerite’s behaviour both perplexing and unbelievable.
Another way in which Bonello alienates his audience is by just trying to be being too
clever for his own good. The best example is the film’s opening, which comprises
two contrasting scenes, one with Paul passionately kissing his wife, the other with him
having killed her. Some viewers may quickly deduce that the main part of the film
is an extended flashback sequence which takes place in between these two scenes; the majority
will be perplexed. Indeed, you need to have realised this point for the ending to
make any sense at all. There are other examples of this ilk throughout the film,
adding narrative complexity with no perceptible gain.
© James Travers 2002
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