Reviews (11)

a MUST for lovers of the book.
Ruiz's version of Proust's monumental work probably comes as close to a faithful interpretation of the spirit of the original work as a film can get. While the movie focuses on the last volume of the novel, key elements of the whole are interwoven throughout, to brilliant effect. Ruiz's surrealistic touches are at times so achingly beautiful that it takes your breath away. Ruiz made some interesting (and brave) choices regarding the plot: Swann and Albertine are jettisoned entirely, and believe it or not, it still works. The casting is uncannily on the money, with the one exception of John Malkovitch as Charlus, who appears not to have the foggiest conception of the character as written by Proust. If you haven't guessed already, this film will be tough going for those unfamiliar with the book. For Proustians: an unmitigated feast.

A Worthy Interpretation Of The Classic On Film
Director Raul's version of Marcel Prousts' Remembrance Of Things Past is captured beautifully and faithfully on film. It was made only recently in 1999, but it is essentially timeless. The strength of the film lies in the many dimensions it has, as with the novel. Proust's vision and world comes to life through the cinema, through good performances by the actors, period details and such beautiful, wistful music. The music and the way the film changes time frames, different perspectives, and the Impressionist, sensory images in memory that Proust created in the book are captured with great effect.

For those who have read the long book, and for those who are Proustian, this film is a sumptuous cinematic feast. You don't have to appreciate French literature and film interpretation, you can just love costume dramas. The French are a different breed. They love their champagne, their waltzes and always, Paris. The frivolous lifestyle depicted in Odette's courtesan climate is but one element of French society, at least as it was in the late 19th century. Swann, as we know, is the author himself. Proust put himself in Swann, and became the restless, troubled youth searching for himself but unable to find peace of mind in a corrupt world of money and societal conventions, a world who looks innocent and glossy but hides a dark secret of prostitution and frail morals.

The cast is superb. The music is delightful. What a great idea they had to cast a now older Catherine Deneuve as the courtesan whom Swann loves devotedly, Odette. This DVD is a great experienc e and I recommend this film to fans of French classics. One note: the film takes place in the latter portions of Proust's epic novel, and some of the characters and side stories were cut off due to time. Like Gone With The Wind for America, Remembrance Of Things Past is an epic masterpiece of French literature. Only there they call it "Au Recharche du Temps perdu" which literally means, in Proustian symbolism, "In Search Of Lost Time".

Great Film, Not So Great DVD
I have been a fan of Proust's novel for a long time, and I eagerly awaited this movie, having read articles about its making and, later, reviews of it. Yet I managed to miss it during the, oh, three days it played in the theater here. So I ordered the DVD the minute it became available, and I had two reactions: 1) For the Proust devotee, this is an amazing, beautiful film, probably the best that ever could be done in capturing the complexity and haunting quality of the novels. But 2) The DVD is a real disappointment: the subtitles obscure the image itself (instead of appearing below it), and they're white, set against what often is a dazzlingly white background. And of course you can't turn them off. So you can't get rid of the damn things, and you can't read them either. The image itself (the parts you can see) is pristine and gorgeous, and the sound is superb. And the movie itself--well, it's a masterpiece. Will you be able to follow it if you haven't read the books? I think so--parts will seem enigmatic, but then that's not such a bad thing. The overall story and point will, I think, be quite clear, and quite moving.

Incidentally, I agree with the reviewer who said Malkovich is miscast. I love his work in general, but he seems out of place here, and it's all too clear that he had to re-loop much of his French dialogue. Still, the role he plays, and the way the director defined that role, are so interesting that you can overlook his performance somewhat.

Proust, Captured on Film
Suffice it to say that Chilean-born director/screenwriter Ruiz tackled a monumental assignment. Reducing Proust's lengthy Trilogy (Remembrance of Things Past), to a few hours of screen time would have been beyond the capabilities of most filmmakers. That he has succeeded so well is a great credit to him and to his creative crew.

The film is told in a series of flashbacks as Proust lies on his deathbed. The flashbacks are not sequential, so at points one has to pay attention to follow along. The rewards are numerous, however. This is one of the most beautifully filmed works that I've seen in ages. The director is particularly adept at pan-shots. The moving tableaux are breathtaking, like living impressionist paintings. This is particularly true in a scene of a music recital at a country chateau. The various figures are situated on moving platforms, so in addition to the moving camera pans, the platforms also slide slowly back and forth, which makes for a kaleidescopic montage unlike anything I've seen in cinema. Ruiz and cinematographer Jorge Arriagada are artists in the truest sense.

Ruiz also managed to collect a top notch cast for the enterprise. Marcello Mazzarella is elegantly stoic as Proust. He is the artistic, calm eye of the storm as the hurricane of WWI France swirls aound him. Emmanuelle Béart, is stunningly beautiful, as always. Catherine Deneuve is a perfectly cast Mme De Crecy, though her on screen time is relatively brief. John Malkovich's French sounds pretty fair to my untrained ear. He definitely has the juiciest role as a jaded, decadent Baron of the Boulevard. Pascal Greggory chews up some scenery, as well as a boefsteak, as the gung ho, effete warrior, St-Loup (well named, as the guy really is quite loopy).

The movie is slow going at times, which well befits an adaptation of Proust, who's not exactly known for his frenetic pacing. This is a film to savor with several repeated viewings. The DVD is an excellent transfer and the English subtitles are accurate and legible. Highly recommended.

BEK

Breathtakingly beautiful
Well, I had only ever heard of Proust before this film from a Monty Python sketch of the "Summarise Proust competition" (contestants had to summarise In Search of Lost Time once in evening wear and once in bathing suit). I was worried I might hate this film, not knowing anything about Proust other than he wrote a multi-volumed masterwork about time and memory. Then I saw it...wow! I cannot praise Mr Ruiz enough for what he has achieved. The camera work, sets, and lighting are stunning. As Marcel's memory takes him back and forth through his life, the sets and furniture often move around whilst the scene is played out - all emphasising the fragility and hallucinatory qualities of his memory. And there is the music...wow again. It is never intrusive but always creates the perfect background to what is happening on screen. It is not overly sentimental and never tries to force you into feeling emotion (unlike someone like John Williams/S. Spielberg who tries to ram it down your throat). As for plot, many characters and relationships are never fully explained or revealed. Many reviewers seem offended that a film expects them to display attention and interest, but I feel that they're missing the point. Plot is often not the point of the film, instead it is a film about time and memory (hence the title!). Plot is not allowed to dominate the narrative structure, it is the emotions and memory of Marcel. The most offensive thing that some other reviewers seem to find about this film is that it is novel and original - what a crime!! I had never read Proust (and I do not speak French to any degree - I feel I should mention this for the reviewer below who complains that those who can't speak French will have problems) before I saw this film, but I have a long enough attention span and an open enough mind to appreciate the sheer beauty of its images and the wonderful originality of its style. I urge anyone remotely appreciative of excellent filmmaking to see this film. It might even, as it has with me, motivate you to read the book. I am now three and a third volumes in and it is the greatest and most beautifully written novel I have ever read in my life. Thank you Mr Ruiz and thank you Marcel! SEE THIS FILM NOW!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

"You're not my mommy." These words are uttered with complete certitude by the 9-year-old son of upper-class Parisian Isabelle Huppert; mother and son are about to enter the Twilight Zone. Comedy of Innocence is from the prolific Chilean-born filmmaker Raoul Ruiz, a director less interested in telling conventional stories than he is in playing with the boundaries of what a movie is. The 9-year-old demands to be taken to the home of a stranger (swanlike Jeanne Balibar, from Va savoir), whom he proclaims to be his true mother. Ruiz's command of mood and atmosphere carries the movie through its tantalizing set-up, and Huppert is of course a superb presence. She plays against the expectations of the role, finding the simmering truth beneath. One might hope for a bit more meat in the lackadaisical middle section of the film, but the eventual explanation is intriguing and worth hanging around for. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Compelling Psycho-Drama
This review refers to "Comedy of Innocence" (Comédie de l'innocence), DVD edition(Wellspring)...

If your looking for something French, something out of the ordinary, and a film well worth discussing after the view, this film is for you. I have to admit, there were moments in this film I found a little hard to follow, and others hard to swallow, but there was never a moment that I wanted to leave my seat, as the story became more compelling with every scene. Don't let the title fool you...it's a psychological drama/mystery that would take the wisdom of King Solomon, the expertise of Dr. Freud, and the patience of, well..a mother...to unravel.

Camille is a precocious nine year old, and only child of a well to do family. On his birthday he startles his mother Ariane, by declaring that he is not really Camille, he is a boy named Paul and she is not his mother at all. Ariane is eager to show Camille her love for him, and goes along with him, as he takes her on what seems to be a wild goose chase, but finds them at the apartment of Isabella, a woman who he now calls Mommy and who is thrilled to be reunited with her long lost,deceased son. And so the psychological tug-of-war for the boy begins. Who is this child really? Could he be the reincarnation of Paul? Is Ariane going mad? You won't want to miss a frame of this fascinating story.

Although I had never seen it before, I purchased this film, mainly because I am a fan of Isabelle Huppert. She turns in a wonderful performance of the very distraught mother. But I also marvelled at the work of Jeanne Balibar(Isabella), and will now be looking for her films as well. Artfully directed by Raoul Ruiz, with a haunting score, and wonderfully photographed, it's a nice one to add to your foreign film collection.

A very nice DVD from Wellspring. It includes English subtitles, that can be turned off, a very enlightning interview with Director Ruiz, has a nice widescreen picture and excellent sound in DD5.1(may also be viewed in stereo).

This film is billed as a thriller, akin to "The Sixth Sense", I didn't view it as anything like that, and if that is what you are hoping for, you might consider passing this one by.

Merci and enjoy....Laurie

Spooky and unsettling... or is it??
I admit it: I was looking for something more Hollywood, but all the good new releases were checked out on a Friday night, so I had to go for a second-tier rental instead. A European supernatural arthouse thriller seemed like a good option, even if the steady stream of similar films -- "Abre Tus Ojos," "Sixth Sense," "The Others," "The Ring," "The Eye," et al. -- is getting to be a bit much. And why do all these films have to star precocious, knowing little children who intone wisdom that seems beyond their years? In this case, it's a moody little Parisian boy named Camille, who wigs out after his ninth birthday, and tells his mother (played, somewhat flatly, by Isabelle Huppert) that he is in fact another child altogether, a boy named Paul, who as it turns out is a kid on the other side of town who drowned a couple of years ago. For some reason, Mom humors him, and they take a cab ride to the other boy's apartment, which is where the truly unsettling part of this film begins. The dead child's mourning mother appears, and insinuates herself in the other family's life, seducing Camille away from his family -- or so it seems. The middle section of this film slides into unreality and surrealism, as the actions of all involved seem warped and unexplainable. What's going on here? Are these people all dead, and living in some sort of Purgatory of unresolved emotional baggage of their former lives? Or are they all just nuts? The best performance, by far, in this film is by the elastic, elfin, wide-eyed Jeanne Balibar, who plays the other mother, and seems in turns both pixie-like and demonic. I agree, this isn't the greatest film ever, and the ending seems more rushed than deft, but the nauseating uncertainty that builds up as the plot unfolds shows that the filmmakers certainly had something on the ball... It does kind of stand the ghost-kid genre on its head a bit, and may make for an entertaining rental.

A Thriller But Not Scary
"Comedy of Innocence" is a psychological thriller released in 2003. Thought many scenes are weak, especially the last half, there are some entertaining scenes. The plot idea is unique, which explores a child who is believed to be a reincarnation of his mother's old friend's son. He begins visiting the other woman regularly while identifying her as "mom" and himself as Paul, not his real name. The climax tries to build as his real mom becomes more furious. However, the attempt doesn't succeed. But the suspenseful theme is great. It keeps the audiences interested. The unanswered questions may disappoint viewers, expecially the ones that the viewers are anticipating the most. The acting is average, though there are some strong shining moments. Sometimes, such moments keep the thriller theme successfully. "Comedy of Innocence" may be a great movie to rent only once. Overall, mixed reviews may arise. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Interesting, very interesting
I saw this movie on television about a hundred thousand times, because each time, I find myself being recaptivated by it.Of course, I have a very limited knowledge of the people behind it, other than CatherineDeneuve and Michel Piccoli, but I still liked it a lot.It involves thestory of a psychiatrist (Deneuve) who gets guardianship over her orphanednephew, only to be murdered by him ten years later.After the murder,Deneuve comes back to portray the lawyer defending the boy on his chargefor murder.From there, she learns of his aunt's psycoanalysis group,meets a witness (Piccoli), and learns of the aunt's former psycoanalysis ofher own nephew.I have to say, the movie is extremely interesting, andyet haunting by the boy's character and his mysterious life.It reallydelves into what some people think is impossible, the whole time, referringitself to a somewhat old story based on the same priciples of the recentone.Then, there is Deneuve, who gets so disguised by both roles, thatyou are enchanted by her trust, intelligence, and agonizing curiosity. Good movie.

Dark, enigmatic, somber, captivating and fascinating.
I had the opportunity to see the film and meet the director (Raul Ruiz a Chilean living in Paris since 1973) on a film festival in Miami. I liked the film first because it is based on a true story, and second because ithas the courage to contend with one of the dark sides of humanity. Posingthe agelong unanswered question, are we born evil?, or do we develop thesecharacteristics as we grow old. The idea is based on an event that occurredin Vienna at the turn of the century which involves a psychoanalyst(Deneuve) and her nephew (Piccoli), what is so particular, is that analysisat that time, believed that the personality of the individual wascompletely developed by the age of five and could probably be corrected butnot changed. The analyst thought to discover on her nephew criminaltendencies as a child, and she wanted to study him to prove this theory.Unfortunately once he grew up at the age of seventeen he proved her right,(or maybe wrong) depending on which side you are. On the surface this seemsto be a theme of psychoanalysis but it is much more than that, it is aboutthe constant struggle between free will versus implied fate. It isfascinating to see how Deneuve becomes almost invisible during the story,how she conveys emotions and feelings transforming them into somethingenigmatic, this is very well suited to her temperament and portrayal. Themovie has its flaws but as a whole, the story, the filming, the acting andDeneuve's presence makes it worth while. This is especially captivating forthose (like myself) who like to dwell into the nature of human beings. Itis like the moth flying to the flame, to the inevitable (sometimes italmost feels like a mirror) and it is so human!. Even If you don't likeit!. It will make you think. ... Read more