This latest piece of Whimsy from Jean-Pierre Jeunet sees a young man who loses everything thanks to the products of arms dealers set about bringing retribution to them with the aid of a troupe of scavenging scrapyard misfits he falls in with.
This an oddity of a film. The serious nature of the corrupt arms trade is in stark contrast to the flight of fancy that it follows.
The scavengers live in a scapyard in a home constructed of scrap. Each has their own idiosyncrasy to bring to events, essentially becoming a circus band.
The arguments of the arms trade are shown to be rediculous by ridicule. The heads of the companies self absorbed childish brats with dangerous toys.
Thus ensues a farce where the arms dealers are brought to loggerheads by the many-talented scrap merchants in a series of light hearted stunts.
The group have something of Gilliam's time bandits about them, as does their scrap home. The tone is distinctly Jeunet, in concentrated form. Where Amelie took a largely real world with some light hearted observations gently twisted with whimsy, here is a fantastic world with an occasional twist of reality. You don't so much suspend your disbelief for the train of fantastic events as occasionally engage belief for the films heart to develop.
Stylised, funny and largely nonsensical, lovers of silliness will enjoy it where others will hate it. I for one, was very amused.
Friday 12 March 2010
A Single Man
George (Colin Firth) mourning the loss of his lover of 16 years, determines to make it through one last day, putting his affairs in order before committing suicide.
Colin Firth has been well nominated in the awards season for this role and rightly so. Holding more than a passing resemblance to his most famous role, Mr Darcy in the BBCs Pride and Prejudice, George is a well presented controlled character of repressed emotion with subtle gestures rather than showboating gurning exposing his underlying emotions. His receiving the news that Jim has been killed in an accident and that he isn't welcome at the funeral is masterful, convincing and beautifully understated.
As George moves through the day in his heightened state, he notices things he might not have before, lifting him momentarily. These moments are indicated by raising the colour palette from a very washed gray to vibrant colour. This is undoubtedly heavily stylised, and in places a touch heavy handed, but it is infinitely more subtle than a narration would be. It also brilliantly captures how fleeting these moments are when you are low, the colour draining away almost as soon as the moment passes.
There is also a lovelly extended cameo from Julianne Moore as Charley, a long standing friend who still wishes their young lovemaking had become love.
A touching portrait of a man crushed by bereavement and repressed by society for his lifestyle, this is engrossing, engaging and well worth a look.
Colin Firth has been well nominated in the awards season for this role and rightly so. Holding more than a passing resemblance to his most famous role, Mr Darcy in the BBCs Pride and Prejudice, George is a well presented controlled character of repressed emotion with subtle gestures rather than showboating gurning exposing his underlying emotions. His receiving the news that Jim has been killed in an accident and that he isn't welcome at the funeral is masterful, convincing and beautifully understated.
As George moves through the day in his heightened state, he notices things he might not have before, lifting him momentarily. These moments are indicated by raising the colour palette from a very washed gray to vibrant colour. This is undoubtedly heavily stylised, and in places a touch heavy handed, but it is infinitely more subtle than a narration would be. It also brilliantly captures how fleeting these moments are when you are low, the colour draining away almost as soon as the moment passes.
There is also a lovelly extended cameo from Julianne Moore as Charley, a long standing friend who still wishes their young lovemaking had become love.
A touching portrait of a man crushed by bereavement and repressed by society for his lifestyle, this is engrossing, engaging and well worth a look.
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