Brilliant filmmaker that Louis Malle was, there was no idea or genre that he didn't explore in his career. Moreover, he could always be relied upon to commit fully to exploring a concept, and let a tableau come to full realization, whatever that meant. Here, Malle and prolific screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière serve up a picture that's a tad more conventional compared to the preponderance of the man's oeuvre, and the premise seems pretty straightforward as a family gathers for a funeral amidst the fervor in France of May 1968. Appearances are deceiving, however, and the profit is in the details; what results is a wry, cheeky comedy-drama that's sometimes as ridiculous as 'Viva Maria,' as warm and quirky as 'My dinner with Andre,' as offbeat and inviting as 'Murmur of the heart,' and still maybe as rich and imaginative as 'Zazie dans le Métro.' From where it begins one can't really predict where 'Milou en mai' will end as the film swerves hard, but the viewing experience is delightfully engrossing all the while. In both senses of the word, this is fantastic!
This is certainly not what I expected when I sat to watch, and Malle's movie surprises again and again throughout its 107 minutes. Forced by circumstances into sharing quarters for a few days, the family and those around them waver between starkly finding the divisions between them, to truly coming together, and back again. An eclectic assortment of characters and personalities ensures that sparks will fly, and dialogue oscillates between poetic and acerbic, and lovely and biting, but always as sharp as one would assume of Malle and Carrière. The scene writing is delicious as the ensemble reflect on current events, their relationships, and the secrets many of them share, and what emerges is one part commentary and one part farce while maintaining the through-line of managing affairs after a death in the family. I think it goes without saying, but the man's direction is as shrewd here as it ever was, assembling the whole with impeccable skill and intelligence to capitalize on the wildly disparate moods and get the most out of every detail. Through Malle's deft hand 'Milou en mai' manages to at once be both flippant and irreverent, and a little dark and piercing, but frivolous and heartfelt all the while - and even downright endearing. It's a delicate balancing at, and it comes off with the greatest of ease.
The cast is terrific across the board, all inhabiting their roles with gratifying completeness and demonstrating fine range all around. I'm hesitant to even suggest one stands out above others, though it's safe to say Michel Piccoli invariably commands substantial presence wherever he goes, and it's no wonder why Dominique Blanc nabbed a César; even in only a supporting part she threatens to steal the show with the major personality she takes on as Claire. And by all means 'Milou en mai' is tremendously well made in every other capacity - superb filming locations, excellent production design and art direction, lovely costume design, hair, and makeup, and so on. Renato Berta's cinematography is both soft and vivid in capturing every moment, fitting for the mixed tone the film adopts, while Stéphane Grappelli's playful original music reassures viewers of the overall intent no matter how cutting the presentation may be at times. When all is said and done this may not be as immediately striking as some of Malle's other works, but in total the experience is just as joyfully satisfying, and maybe even more so with the off-kilter cordiality that the picture imparts. There are many competing flavors in this yet there are few if any filmmakers that I'd trust to make them work nearly as well: it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but as far as I'm concerned this 1990 movie is marvelously entertaining, and well worth taking the time to seek out.
This is certainly not what I expected when I sat to watch, and Malle's movie surprises again and again throughout its 107 minutes. Forced by circumstances into sharing quarters for a few days, the family and those around them waver between starkly finding the divisions between them, to truly coming together, and back again. An eclectic assortment of characters and personalities ensures that sparks will fly, and dialogue oscillates between poetic and acerbic, and lovely and biting, but always as sharp as one would assume of Malle and Carrière. The scene writing is delicious as the ensemble reflect on current events, their relationships, and the secrets many of them share, and what emerges is one part commentary and one part farce while maintaining the through-line of managing affairs after a death in the family. I think it goes without saying, but the man's direction is as shrewd here as it ever was, assembling the whole with impeccable skill and intelligence to capitalize on the wildly disparate moods and get the most out of every detail. Through Malle's deft hand 'Milou en mai' manages to at once be both flippant and irreverent, and a little dark and piercing, but frivolous and heartfelt all the while - and even downright endearing. It's a delicate balancing at, and it comes off with the greatest of ease.
The cast is terrific across the board, all inhabiting their roles with gratifying completeness and demonstrating fine range all around. I'm hesitant to even suggest one stands out above others, though it's safe to say Michel Piccoli invariably commands substantial presence wherever he goes, and it's no wonder why Dominique Blanc nabbed a César; even in only a supporting part she threatens to steal the show with the major personality she takes on as Claire. And by all means 'Milou en mai' is tremendously well made in every other capacity - superb filming locations, excellent production design and art direction, lovely costume design, hair, and makeup, and so on. Renato Berta's cinematography is both soft and vivid in capturing every moment, fitting for the mixed tone the film adopts, while Stéphane Grappelli's playful original music reassures viewers of the overall intent no matter how cutting the presentation may be at times. When all is said and done this may not be as immediately striking as some of Malle's other works, but in total the experience is just as joyfully satisfying, and maybe even more so with the off-kilter cordiality that the picture imparts. There are many competing flavors in this yet there are few if any filmmakers that I'd trust to make them work nearly as well: it won't be everyone's cup of tea, but as far as I'm concerned this 1990 movie is marvelously entertaining, and well worth taking the time to seek out.