Chicago – When a film has gotten viewers so invested in a character’s plight that it prompts them to shout at the screen, it’s clear that they are in the hands of a master filmmaker. Consider the legendary stories from the initial theatrical run of Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” when audiences found themselves screaming at Vera Miles to not investigate the fruit cellar, where her imminent doom appeared to be waiting.
After helming six celebrated narrative features, the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have proven to be masters of suspense in their own right. Though their films often run only a hair over 90 minutes, they leave the audience feeling drained. By the time they reach their third act, I always find myself perched on the edge of my seat while my holding my breath with the hope that no harm will come to the protagonists. Yet while Hitch...
After helming six celebrated narrative features, the Belgian brothers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne have proven to be masters of suspense in their own right. Though their films often run only a hair over 90 minutes, they leave the audience feeling drained. By the time they reach their third act, I always find myself perched on the edge of my seat while my holding my breath with the hope that no harm will come to the protagonists. Yet while Hitch...
- 8/28/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
While there have been many coming of age films about teenage girls, it’s safe to say none have been quite like Rosetta, Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Palme d’Or winner from 1999. Finally getting its long awaited North American video release by Criterion, Rosetta is a film that will shock viewers with its raw, jagged energy and unvarnished realism. Watching the film is an experience akin to having dirt thrown in your face, leaving viewers to spit out specks of grit while a destitute young woman wages war with society, her family and herself.
Played by 17 year old Émilie Dequenne, Rosetta lives a hand-to-mouth existence in a decrepit trailer park on the dingy outskirts of Liége, Belgium. Rosetta’s mother (Anne Yernaux) is an alcoholic who has given up on life, and spends her days huddled about the camper in a torpid funk. So determined is Rosetta not to...
Played by 17 year old Émilie Dequenne, Rosetta lives a hand-to-mouth existence in a decrepit trailer park on the dingy outskirts of Liége, Belgium. Rosetta’s mother (Anne Yernaux) is an alcoholic who has given up on life, and spends her days huddled about the camper in a torpid funk. So determined is Rosetta not to...
- 8/14/2012
- by David Anderson
- IONCINEMA.com
The final film screened in competition -- the Dardenne brothers' searing "Rosetta", powered by an unforgettable performance from 17-year-old Emilie Dequenne -- capped an incredible weekend, winning the Palme d'Or and securing American distribution via October Films.
In their fourth feature, Belgian filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (shown here kissing actress Emilie Dequenne after winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes) wheedled together the emotional intensity of a John Cassavetes movie with documentary naturalism to create a raw, lyrical work.
The movie's bleak tone and dour mood -- combined with the fact that it's in the French language -- mitigates against mainstream success, but discerning viewers seeking edgier material should respond strongly. "Rosetta" extends on and deepens the artistry and scope of the Dardennes' previous film, 1996's "La Promesse". The story unfolds in the same forlorn, visually dull working-class town on the outskirts of Liege, Belgium.
From its opening shots of the protagonist moving angrily through the industrial workshop from which she has just been terminated, "Rosetta" is never passive or still. The film is cut on movement and speed, punctuated by uncertainty and danger that become overpowering. It evokes despair and hopelessness but contains immediately recognizable humanity.
The film primarily concerns Rosetta's survival. She is fearless and absolute in her quest to be free. Rosetta lives in a trailer park with her weak, passive mother (Anne Yernaux), a recovering alcoholic victimized by sexually predatory men, especially the trailer park superintendent. Rosetta must function as protectorate and innocent but has experienced too much pain to accept either part easily. Confrontations between the women lack tension because they are so one-sided in Rosetta's favor, but they help reveal aspects of character and identity.
The way the incredible Dequenne navigates these difficult paths is often remarkable. She appears in nearly every frame, and her perspective shapes the film's emotional content. The brothers shot the entire film with hand-held cameras, a style that acts as an interior corollary to Rosetta's consciousness and underlines how precarious her life is. By stripping away artifice, the Dardennes explore nearly every detail of her life, one filled with instability and potential for breakdown.
"Rosetta" coolly, passionately charts the heroine's efforts to find definition. The Dardennes are brilliant in the small, penetrating details and encapsulate her life -- the way she uses a blow dryer over her stomach to ease the pain of menstrual cramps, or the repeated times they show her changing her clothes according to specific needs, all part of Rosetta's effort to create a better life for her and her mother.
At last, Rosetta's determination alters her fate when she catches the attention of Riquet (Fabrizio Rongione), who operates a waffle stand. Their scenes together are nervy, loose and improvisational, capturing the tension. The Dardennes, who wrote the script, withhold information in a manner that heightens dramatic power. Uncertainty over Riquet's intentions deliberately leave open whether his offer of help comes with a price. The final act is set in motion by a devastating act of betrayal by one of the lead characters that alters nearly everything that came before it.
As imagined, Rosetta's quest for normalcy is challenged constantly by her circumstances and the world outside of her control. Stylistically, the Dardennes work primarily in medium close-ups, but the movie never feels oppressive or claustrophobic.
The film ends on a note of ambiguity -- emotionally, personally and dramatically. But about the Dardennes' talent, there is no doubt. "La Promesse" started their international career, but "Rosetta" suggests their work will endure.
ROSETTA
Les Films du Sleuve
A film by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Producer-director-screenwriters: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Michelle and Laurent Petin
Director of photography: Alain Marcoen
Sound designer: Jean-Pierre Duret
Editor:Marie-Helene Dozo
Art director: Igor Gabriel
Costume designer: Monic Parelle
Cast:
Rosetta: Emilie Dequenne
Riquet: Fabrizio Rongione
The Mother: Anne Yernaux
The Boss: Olivier Gourmet
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
In their fourth feature, Belgian filmmakers Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne (shown here kissing actress Emilie Dequenne after winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes) wheedled together the emotional intensity of a John Cassavetes movie with documentary naturalism to create a raw, lyrical work.
The movie's bleak tone and dour mood -- combined with the fact that it's in the French language -- mitigates against mainstream success, but discerning viewers seeking edgier material should respond strongly. "Rosetta" extends on and deepens the artistry and scope of the Dardennes' previous film, 1996's "La Promesse". The story unfolds in the same forlorn, visually dull working-class town on the outskirts of Liege, Belgium.
From its opening shots of the protagonist moving angrily through the industrial workshop from which she has just been terminated, "Rosetta" is never passive or still. The film is cut on movement and speed, punctuated by uncertainty and danger that become overpowering. It evokes despair and hopelessness but contains immediately recognizable humanity.
The film primarily concerns Rosetta's survival. She is fearless and absolute in her quest to be free. Rosetta lives in a trailer park with her weak, passive mother (Anne Yernaux), a recovering alcoholic victimized by sexually predatory men, especially the trailer park superintendent. Rosetta must function as protectorate and innocent but has experienced too much pain to accept either part easily. Confrontations between the women lack tension because they are so one-sided in Rosetta's favor, but they help reveal aspects of character and identity.
The way the incredible Dequenne navigates these difficult paths is often remarkable. She appears in nearly every frame, and her perspective shapes the film's emotional content. The brothers shot the entire film with hand-held cameras, a style that acts as an interior corollary to Rosetta's consciousness and underlines how precarious her life is. By stripping away artifice, the Dardennes explore nearly every detail of her life, one filled with instability and potential for breakdown.
"Rosetta" coolly, passionately charts the heroine's efforts to find definition. The Dardennes are brilliant in the small, penetrating details and encapsulate her life -- the way she uses a blow dryer over her stomach to ease the pain of menstrual cramps, or the repeated times they show her changing her clothes according to specific needs, all part of Rosetta's effort to create a better life for her and her mother.
At last, Rosetta's determination alters her fate when she catches the attention of Riquet (Fabrizio Rongione), who operates a waffle stand. Their scenes together are nervy, loose and improvisational, capturing the tension. The Dardennes, who wrote the script, withhold information in a manner that heightens dramatic power. Uncertainty over Riquet's intentions deliberately leave open whether his offer of help comes with a price. The final act is set in motion by a devastating act of betrayal by one of the lead characters that alters nearly everything that came before it.
As imagined, Rosetta's quest for normalcy is challenged constantly by her circumstances and the world outside of her control. Stylistically, the Dardennes work primarily in medium close-ups, but the movie never feels oppressive or claustrophobic.
The film ends on a note of ambiguity -- emotionally, personally and dramatically. But about the Dardennes' talent, there is no doubt. "La Promesse" started their international career, but "Rosetta" suggests their work will endure.
ROSETTA
Les Films du Sleuve
A film by Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne
Producer-director-screenwriters: Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Michelle and Laurent Petin
Director of photography: Alain Marcoen
Sound designer: Jean-Pierre Duret
Editor:Marie-Helene Dozo
Art director: Igor Gabriel
Costume designer: Monic Parelle
Cast:
Rosetta: Emilie Dequenne
Riquet: Fabrizio Rongione
The Mother: Anne Yernaux
The Boss: Olivier Gourmet
Running time -- 99 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 5/24/1999
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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