"Roman De Gare" A Must See

I saw the movie "Roman De Gare" ( Novel Of The Station, i.e. airport fiction - my trans. ) today at the Grand Cinema. It was excellent. Here's the beginning of the review from the News Tribune:

"French thriller full of fascinating twists "
SOREN ANDERSEN; soren.andersen@thenewstribune.com

Published: July 18th, 2008 01:00 AM

“Roman de Gare” has more twists and turns than a switchback mountain road. And it’s likely to give you the heart-in-the-throat kind of feeling one gets on such a road as it navigates perilously through its plot’s many convolutions.

The picture is a dazzling tour de force from the venerable Claude Lelouch. At age 70 and more than 40 years after his greatest triumph, “A Man and a Woman,” Lelouch proves that his gift for elegant, intelligent filmmaking is undiminished.

“Roman” is a nerve-rackingly effective psychological thriller. For the longest time it’s difficult to figure out what’s going on, and that gives rise to a tremendous sense of unease on the part of the viewer."

Read the rest.

I can only add that the movie was also interesting in that the art of writing was woven into the plot of the movie. You see how the novel in the movie takes shape.

Also, it was wonderful to see Dominique Pinon as the star of the movie. I've been a fan of his since he played "Le Cure" in "Diva", which you must see if you already have not.

Please go see this movie. The music is interesting as well.

Not Quite All The Way "Up The Yangtze"

I just saw "Up The Yangtze" at the Grand Cinema, and have mixed feelings about it.

Soren Andersen gave it a good review in the News Tribune, which you can read here. Here's his conclusion:

"Chang captures Cindy’s uncertainties and Jerry’s egotism with great acuity. But what’s likely to stay with you longest is the movie’s images, which are at once beautiful and heartbreaking, none more so than a time-lapse sequence at the end of the film. In it, the Yangtze’s waters slowly rise until they engulf Shui Yu’s now abandoned family shack.

Going, going, gone, like a whole way of life. In the distance a tour boat sails slowly by, leaving that submerged way of life in its wake."

My problem with this movie is that I didn't have a good feel for what was lost or what was gained. I understand that change is hard for some people, but, in itself, that doesn't give me enough information to know whether I feel the change to be good or bad. Was a way of life submerged or, more simply, if still tragically, the mode of living of one family or one small group of families? I couldn't tell.

As for the cruise ship, I didn't have a good feel for the whole enterprise, tourists or crew. It came dangerously close to being a reality television show on which we see who does or doesn't get booted off the ship.

Did I like the movie? Yes, but mainly for the mood and ambiance created by the photography and music. I enjoyed the landscape in the background, but the people in the foreground left me feeling unsure of what I had just seen them go through.

But, of course, it's well worth seeing yourself. Maybe you'll see or hear something I didn't. If so, let me know.