Modern Love (2008)
Dir. Stéphane Kanzandijan
Cast: Alexandra Lamy, Stéphane Rousseau, Bérénice Bejo, Pierre-Francois Martin-Laval, Clotilde Courau, Stéphane Dubac
It's a French film with an English title. Why not? Taking the format of a film within a film, Modern Love follows the almost excrutiating rollercoaster of relationships of three couples. The first, which wins the film's most laughs, are the odd on-screen coupling of Marianne (Lamy) and Vincent (Rousseau). They sing, dance and sign their way through some brilliant cinema moments. Love conquers all and they literally ride off into the sunset.
The two 'real-life' couples are made up of Eric (Laval), the author of the film-in-the-film, and Marie, a woman who is so bizarre it's hard to see why Eric is so infatuated with her, and the bouncy, boyish Elsa (Bejo) and gorgeous Jérome (Dubac). There is a certain amount of characters crossing paths - though nothing to equal the likes of Love Actually - and neither couple ends up particularly happy.
Eric and Marie's strange relationship comes from a past which is never really explained, and what does go on between them is verging on the slightly weird. Eric is loveable however, as a tortured and love-struck writer. Elsa and Jérome have some very funny scenes but also never make a very believable couple.
I found myself just waiting for the next Marianne and Vincent musical number, which seemed to be the most enjoyable and actually most realistic. The finale is brilliant. If it's too complicated to say, why not sign how you feel? All in all, the film is funny and watchable, but it is the interspersed light-hearted songs that keep the audience from wondering whether all relationships in France are built on such disturbingly rocky foundations.
Rating: *** 3/5
Reccommendations: It's a quirky, French Rom-Com. You won't quite know how to react. Give it a try!
No comments:
Post a Comment