Can one make an interesting film using only about 5-600 words of dialogue? Perhaps, but this film isn't it. Monica Bellucci says about 40-50 words, for example; Stanislas Menhar has about 20, at most (were no mimes available for his role?). Almost nothing happens for the first 75 minutes or so, then there is three minutes of moderate excitement and then the credits roll. Ten minutes of plot is stretched to 85 minutes of film. And "action" as such takes place off-camera for the most part, a nice technique, though problematic in a film where almost nothing is going to happen anyway. So this film is comprised primarily of meaningful looks and extended silences - a brief question, a long pause, no answer, cut to next scene. Not a recipe for scintillating cinema. But it must have been easy to write, and with a six or seven page script, photocopying costs were certainly low. No action, no plot twists (this would require a plot), no chases, no comedic moments, no nudity. There is some nice camera work - still lifes mostly. Do they make films for tax write-off purposes in France? Je ne sais pas, but that might explain things. If you have A LOT of time on your hands, check this film out.
Review of Franck Spadone
