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Reviews
Le passager de l'été (2006)
Beautifully photographed
May contain spoilers I agree with most of Writers reign's comments, but I think he is mistaken when writing Joseph is Angele's lover too. He repeatedly refuses her advances, which is important to define Joseph's character as an honest man:he is not interested by a girl who sleeps with any and all men. He sure is first attracted physically by Monique, but abandons her when he discovers he loves her daughter and is reciprocated. When he leaves said daughter, it is because he knows she deserves better than a man with no future ( as Monique tells him when he quits the farm), and he certainly does not know she is pregnant. The director chose unusual landscapes, which are beautifully photographed. By the way, Jean-Paul Moncorgé, who plays Paulo, the young farmhand with a lame leg, is the director's son, and thence Jean Gabin's grandson
Condition Red (1995)
condition: good
It is a low-budget movie, but expertly directed: for instance , with few actors and means the atmosphere in the prisons is effectively rendered. The movie in fact consists of three roles only ( the late Victor Argo being seen for very few minutes), but they are all well played. Paul Calderon is quite believable as a slimy gangster. I confess that I did not know Cinda Williams before, and found her very attractive in a sultry way, but also quite convincing. The best however is James Russo, who is really outstanding, using only his gimlet eyes and clenched jaws. *** Spoilers: while you expect Russo to be broken by the death of the loved one, the unexpected but appropriate end helps greatly to make a success of Condition Red
Les temps qui changent (2004)
A let-down
What a let-down!! With a renowned director and two of the biggest French stars, you could expect at least a good movie, if not a masterpiece. But the result is a shamble: the film tells of the undying love of Gérard Depardiieu for Catherine Deneuve, as they were lovers but parted some 30 years before. But the reason of the split is not explained: on the contrary, Deneuve confesses to her assistant and good friend that she was madly in love with Depardieu, both sexually and affectively
So you don't understand. Add an unfaithful husband who does not care a hoot any longer for Deneuve
you cannot expect to fulfill a 100 minute-movie with so thin a story. So they create useless roles ( the AC/DC son of Deneuve, his wife and his son, and his lover, as well as the wife's twin sister) and scenes (Depardieu's attempt at black magic, the dogs attacking Deneuve's son) . But they are uninteresting (when not laughable) and leave you cold
And if Depardieu is rather good, - showing some aspects of his former talent before he agreed to make any and every indifferent or bad films for amassing pots of money -, Deneuve appears unconcerned, showing no sincerity in her performance. I give it a 4, feeling generous ..