A few days ago, I was going through the database at work, and I saw a film called 'Never let me go', that was actually an adaptation of Kuzuo Ishiguro’s acclaimed novel with the same title. Immediately, I decided to watch the trailer. It was pretty good, and of course, the fact that there was Carey Mulligan in it pleased me a lot (I simply loved her in 'An education'). Within a minute, I was in A's office begging her to go with me to see the film. I had read one review in Variety that was saying "the less you know about the story, the better: it's a really good film". The trailer wasn't very clear and kept the mystery unscathed.
This is why this Saturday, after some shopping in Capitol Hill's vintages shops, a quick look at Nordstrom's shoes and a short visit at H&M, we went to the Regal's Cinemas to watch the oh so expected 'Never let me go'.
Let me tell you the truth: they were the loooooongest 103 minutes of my life (almost). Even if the cinematography is interesting and lovely, even if Carey confirms the fact that she is an actress people have to look after, the script is terrible and MY GOD terribly depressing! Not a single ounce of hope, a boring impossible love story, intolerable shortcuts. The entire story is predictable and in the end, the only thought that came up to my mind was "How did I do to stay until the end"? And I can tell you that A's opinion was exactly the same!
Please, do me a favor, keep your money for a burger, a drink, a cab when you're too tired to take the bus, and RUN if someone asks you to go see this film.
HOWEVER. I had a good surprise today concerning films. And the one I watched actually made my day.
I have never been a fan of Léa Seydoux, a French actress whose family is... guess who? The one that owns the biggest French production company. When I discovered her in "La Belle Personne" by C. Honoré, she made a bad impression on me: cold, too sensual, a failed Emmanuelle Béart. But today at work, I found a DVD on a desk. On it was written "Belle Epine". I had heard about this film during Cannes Film Festival. Unfortunately, we didn't get the opportunity to see it, but I knew that it was supposed to be good.
And it is! A moving, humble and very very very well directed film. The actors are amazing (Léa Seydoux bluffed me). The director uses dark colors that are simply stunning. She creates an original and unpredictable mood around the universe of motorcycling, a universe that characterizes perfectly the youth, and more specifically the parisian youth. The music fits each shot, each scene, and the story is human and touching.
The director, Rebecca Zlotowski, was actually a student at La Fémis, the most prestigious and elitist cinema school in France. She wrote the script of Belle Epine as a school project. It is her first long feature.
MJ.
