Reviews (49)

The boldest, most ambitious film of the 1990's.
Out of the collaboration of three ingenious artists, Dusan Kovacevic, the great writer of comedy, Emir Kusturica, a master of the absurd in film-making, and Goran Bregovic, the most wonderful musician alive, arose "Underground", the most ambitious, most daring, and perhaps simply the best motion picture of the nineties. Kusturica is a supreme magical realist of cinema; he has a hold on the absurd like very few other film directors. For this reason, he was clearly the best man to try and adapt Kovacevic's novel "There Once Was a Country" for the screen. The novel is a brilliant allegory of fifty years in Yugoslav history (1941-1992), written in a multitude of styles, from fairy tale, to comic sketch, to classic tragedy. The scope of the story is enormous, and even Kusturica seems to have some trouble pulling it off, especially towards the end, as the film tends to get out of hand and become rather hard to follow. Nevertheless, on the whole Kusturica's telling of the story is successful. His wonderful direction is only enhanced by the superb cast, hilarious and mad as it is. Performances by already established actors Miki Manojlovic, Slavko Stimac and Lazar Ristovski, as well as the less well known Mirjana Jokovic, are delightfully original, and truly masterful. The film also features a phenomenal soundtrack by the forementioned Bregovic. This is a movie everyone should certainly see, though in all honesty it is only the peoples of Yugoslavia who can truly appreciate it. In fact, the movie is dedicated to those few lost generations who lived through the period in question.

Film Starts Here. Talk about this movie! Buy someone a copy.
When the patriotic Blacky, from the film, has had enough he takes matters into his own hands, with hilarious, redemptive, celebratory results. The film is universal and is very worth watching without subtitles which can be distracting to the excellent acting, but I find that the dialogue helps lend to many metaphorical musings. I plan on watching this film as many times as I've seen Morvern Callar. Too many. The comedy in Underground is fast, subtle, and frequently metaphorical. The musicians are well paid and they are integral to the film. Final thought:"Franz!"

Absolute Masterpiece
Directing, performances and music. This is a movie that you should not miss.

hard to stop analyzing this!
in this installment from kusturica's creation, the similarities between this movie on one hand and on the other {the plato's cave, the second half of the 20th century of yugoslav history, the communist history of european nations, the history of totalitarian societies} make it hard to separate tragic from comic. kusturica continues his creative journey with an updated subject (the dissolution of the yugoslav state) while still employing the same magic-realist set of tools that has made him popular ever since 'time of the gypsies,' music, actors, etc.

the only exception i would take with this movie (and this might have started with 'father is away with business') is my unease, as viewer, with kusturica's program. in other words, when confronted with the burden of kusturica's take on 50 years of communist (yugoslav) history, i cannot easily suspend my critical sense vis a vis history in order to fully enjoy the story. and critical sense and magic-realism don't go well together. yet, somehow, the ever-postponed end leaves the viewer on a good balance.

But how to see it on DVD?
I love this film. I won't mince my words. It's not the greatest film ever made, and I won't conjecture what is, but it's amongst the greatest I've seen (and yes, I have seen a fair few in my time). Those that feel it is a poor film (you'll see that very nearly everyone feels strongly one way or another) just don't get a) what the film did at home as a social commentary or b) that yes, people in that part of the world do party loudly and do practice the art of suspension of disbelief in their culture and upbringing - some people call it appreciation of art and artistry, but never mind all that. We Slavs are a passionate people, for better or worse.

This "review" is really to point out that the widescreen DVD of Underground is available from Australia. I have looked high and low for years for this. There is an Italian DVD release, a Belgian DVD release, but I've only just found (and ordered) the Australian DVD release (Croatian language, English subtitle). Of course, you'll need an appropriate DVD player, but those are easy to come by.

One doesn't have to like the film but please do bother getting your reasons right. ... Read more

Reviews (807)

A heart-shaped French delicacy!!!
Amelie is a rare delight. The title character is a painfully shy loner who discovers a small box filled with a little boy's keepsakes. She seeks the rightful owner of the box. The charm of this film is that Amelie wants to perform her little miracles, hiding in the shadows, with no recognition for herself. The characters in this piece are fascinating, each one reflecting back a facet of Amelie's personality. In the end, Amelie's compassion ends up being her own salvation - and that is what makes the film so much of a joy to watch. Hollywood has pretty much exchanged emotion and subtlety for rudeness, crudeness, and over processed digital special effects. Like a good French wine, this motion picture is an experience to be savored - not devoured. Amelie has a look and feel that stands out from anything I've seen in recent years. So many modern films are filtered with a grayish or orange tint, which tricks the viewer's eye into thinking it is watching a stark, gritty documentary. Steven Soderbergh seems to be the reigning master of this technique. Amelie by contrast, with it's deep reds and fluorescent and forest greens accented by cobalt blues and electric yellows, transports you to a world full of magic and hope. The effect is enchanting.

The DVD package is complete with commentaries and documentaries on the making of the film. These added features make it clear that this film was carefully planned by director Jean-Pierre Jeunet, much like "The Sixth Sense." Shots were storyboarded, set up, and orchestrated months in advance. And any extra footage of Audrey Tautou is always welcome in my home. A blend of the beauty and grace of Audrey Hepburn, the humor and physical skill of Charlie Chaplin, and the vulnerability of early Winona Ryder, and the sultry elegance of a sixties European model. Her method of using her eyes, facial expression, and body language (relying less on verbal expression) to create a character is what helps makes Amelie transcend language barriers.

I was a little disappointed there wasn't a version with dubbed English, but after 15 minutes or so, I didn't even notice that I was reading subtitles. There were more than quite a few belly laugh moments, and it became very apparent that this is one of those rare films that is so good it completely transcends culture, language - the universal message is "The good you do for others returns - especially when you don't expect it to." A French delicacy. I just hope we get to sample more of Jeunet, Tautou, and the rest of this team's products soon. Thanks, Miramax.

A Mainstream Hit Dipped In Euro-Sauciness!
The lack of any decent films from the English lingo countries of England and America has given rise to an increase in recognition of some of the finer foreign language exploits into cinema. Earlier this year we had "Amores Perros", and in England we had Japanese shock-fests "Audition" and "Battle Royale" (the latter has to be seen to be believed). The most successful foreign language film this year, bar "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" obviously, was this French trifle that whilst appealing to the fickle tastes of mainstream audiences superbly serves up its romantic hokiness in a touching and cute way. Over-hyped, to be sure, but not without its pleasures.

Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "The City Of Lost Children", which he co-directed with Marc Caro, bears the most resemblance to the look of "Amelie", which looks different to any other film this year with all of its rich, antique-looking cinematography as well as its inclusion of several effects shots that help to render Paris as paradise on Earth. Visual coups include Amelie herself collapsing to the ground as a puddle of water and the titular garden gnome that travels the world much to the chagrin of its owner, Amelie's father. Everything smacks of resplendence in this movie and no cinematic trick is left not utilised.

In all respects, "Amelie" is likely to play better in America than it should in Europe, where its cute benevolence will be welcomed by many, especially after September 11. If you are one of those people who can't help but giggle as bug-eyed little girls stare into the camera with a cheeky smile, then this film is for you (indeed, Audrey Tautou is bug-eyed, cheeky and very good in the title role). If you are like those who criticised "Amelie" for its lack of interracial characters, then don't bother: this beguiling trifle is a fantasy, pure and simple, like "Amelie" herself.

Green and Red beauty and smiles
A beautiful movie about a simple, and pretty weird girl. Pay particular attention to the beautiful color selection and Audrey Tautou's flawless acting. Amelie is the feel-good movie of our times and is sure to bring a smile to anyone's face.

really, what's so great about this?
Its quirky and pretty and all, but then it turns into a typical love story in the end. Dissapointing, I would rather it be a film where she makes everyones lives nicer, and this importance isn't placed on her Only Being Happy If She Gets The Guy. The actress is really pretty, there are nice scenes and ideas, parts are funny, but I don't understand why it has this cult status.

Lithe and awake.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes a welcome return to his home country after the loud but pedestrian 'Alien Resurrection'. In 'Amelie' Jeunet seems to have taken as much influence from Danny Boyle as Francois Truffaut. The accelerated jump-cuts, tracking shots and zooms all make for high-octane energy even if most of it is artifically created. Although 'Amelie' herself is almost too twee to identify with, many of the other characters' faces simmer with restrained intensity (increasingly becoming a Jeunet trademark.) The acting is above average (exception being the always good Domnique Pinon), but it's the quality of the storytelling that shines. Trust the French to be able to remind us that cinema is still relevant in it's second century, that evocative minor epiphinies such as running your hand through grain or the sights and sounds of a market are not just the preserve of the written word but can actually be rendered on screen (and still find an audience!). Through imaginative editing, camerawork and a little help from CGI, Jeunet's film packs in more incident and wonder than most of today's novels are capable of producing. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

bizarre metaphor for family life
wow. this movie really got to me. the first scene in the film establishes the depths of immoral and distastefulness that follows. opening with an intense scene where a man makes love to a young prostitute, then finding out who the prostitute is really strikes a nerve in you. the plot follows with almost no sense and no taste but presented with great acting and great direction. it's basically revolves around a family that each member has their own sick and twisted problems. normally in any other hollywood/american film you'd encounter only one of these problems [or some problems not at all] but all wrapped up together brings it together to produce a very interesting family. a visitor [i'm assuming 'visitor q'] enters into the situation. although i felt his actions weren't as impactful and uplifting as it should've been he still brought the whole family together in a well... less than wholesome way. with his violent and bizarre and intimate solutions, he teaches the lesson that "families should stick together under any circumstance". and trust me, some circumstances are incredibly messed up. this movie is one of those movies where you'll find yourself saying after many scenes "wow, i didn't think i'd ever see something like that in a movie" but then you'll be found laughing over it. it is disturbing, but really if you're like me and you watch a lot of these over-the-top movies it'll still shock you but not in a 'irreversible-rape-scene' kind of way.

great flick, way more enjoyable and stimulating than 'happiness of the kitakuris'. takashi miike is awesome.

The horrors of family dysfunction
When the outside world fails us, whether it's dealing with a crap job day after day or a love life that goes nowhere or rejection in various forms we often turn to our family. For many of us the family is a safety nest, a sanctuary of saneness where we can escape the pressures of every day life. That's why films dealing with the disintegration of the family unit have been so shocking and unfathomable to me. What happens when even our family nest is destroyed and all that we thought was dear is shattered to pieces? I have seen some pretty disturbing cinematic examples in the past, most notably "Cutting Moments" and "Combat Shock" that had me asking the question what if, could this ever happen to me and my family? Takashi Miike takes the concept of family dysfunction to new extremes with Visitor Q.

Visitor Q examines a Japanese family with more problems than you could shake a stick at. The movie opens up with a young prostitute and a middle-aged man engaging in intercourse in front of a home-video camera. Throughout the act, the man keeps expressing remorse and doubt about what he is doing. Remorse for what, cheating on his wife? Nope, turns out the prostitute is actually his daughter. After this disturbing act that lasts not long, the lady taunts her own father with cries of "early bird!" and charges him 100 000Yen for the act, way more then he can afford. No problem, the girl says just give the rest of the sum to mom once you have it. Incest is the first of many atrocious acts committed by this family. Throughout the course of the movie the viewer is submitted to various scenes of necrophilia and domestic violence. Most bizarre is the young teenaged boy who continuously whips and beats up his mom, a crack addict and herself a prostitute. Mom doesn't seem to mind too much though and even encourages the boy to beat her up even harder as long as it's not on her face.

Visitor Q has a cheap Snuff-film kind of look to it and I wouldn't be surprised if Miike had filmed this with an 8mm camera, it certainly looks that way. If Miike's sole intent with Visitor Q was to shock the viewer with as many outlandish images as possible than this can be considered a success. However, I found this film to be quite lacking on an emotional level. The family and their disturbing actions are presented in such a hollow way that the viewer doesn't even feel any sympathy towards them. The family members themselves seem to be quite satisfied with their current lifestyles. There is only one exception in the form of a scene where the young woman who works as a prostitute sits on her bed in her room and holds a stuffed animal in her hands. There is a glimmer in her eyes that suggests that better days used to exist for her. It would have been nice to see fragments of the family's past so that we could answer the following questions: Has this family always been this screwed up? If not then what led them to become this way? What is the purpose of them holding a video camera and wanting to tape all of their atrocities? Miike never bothers offering any answers.

Visitor Q works well as long as it's taken strictly for what it is intended to be: a piece of exploitation filmmaking. It doesn't challenge on any emotional level the way Audition does, it's just a forum to throw as many shocking scenes in the viewer's way. Or is it perhaps meant as a social commentary on the ever-increasing absurdities of reality TV? Or a portrait of the changing dynamics of a Japanese society that has over the last couple of decades increasingly become attuned to the ways of the American models of entertainment and capitalism? It's open to our own interpretation but one thing's for sure, Miike never fails to shock or to challenge.

Takashi Miike AT HIS WORST
This movie was Garbage...I though Vistor Q was going to be great but instead I got garbage...Its stupid and yet disturbing...Trash....

Very bad...THis movies plot was just as stupid as the film...DO NOT GET THIS FILM!!!

-0000000/5 stars

The Worst movie I've ever seen
I must say, Takashi Miike; the director of this film is a very disturbed individual. I feel like this was made only to shock and disgust people. other than that, there's absolutely nothing to it. From a Japanese female point of view, I was very offended and disgusted by the story. This film is SICK - I would not recommend it.

jap cult classic
Beginning scene OK but annoying. First hour, not that impressed. Then, the last 45 minutes is F***in crasy. The director seems to put necrophilia, rape, murder, drug use, incest, and lactation all in the grand finale. This is a must have for Jap Cult Classic collectors if for anything, to watch people look at you funny, when you tell them about this Import movie you saw. ... Read more

Reviews (50)

Funny, Intentionally-Horrid Camp / Cult Sci-Fi Flick
Jane Fonda may regret opting Barbarella as one of her earlier films, but fans of bad camp and cult sci-fi are happy to see the actress in this horridly funny sixties film.

Fonda plays the title role of a spaice vixen / astronaut in the exceptionally distant yet sixties-fied future. When genius but mad scientist Dr. Duran Duran (presumably from whom the band took their name) disappears, Barbarella is sent to track him down and given weapons she has no clue how to use (war has been outlawed for ages) and little warning of the planet she'll be landing on.

Pursued by evil children with cannibalistic dolls and rescued by a tough man in furs, Barbarella finds out about real sex (thankfully not pictured) when she offers to use a mood-linking pill, the 41st century method of copulation. From there she's off to a city of evil, avarice, and sin, to be caught by the demented Dr. Duran and put through such tortures as a cage of pecking budgies to the doctor's notorious and sensual machine for execution by sheer pleasure to a lake of liquid evil whose effects look to have been done by lava lamp. Along the way she meets various helpers (most of whom she ends up sleeping with), including a blind angel named Pygar.

Barbarella's costumes vary with each scene, all skin-tight and definitely satirizing the garb of women of golden-age science fiction. On the whole, the movie pokes fun at the field of early science fiction rather well with a heaping helping of sixties hippie culture thrown in for good measure. The DVD doesn't include any exceptional special features.

Barbarella is by no means a good movie, but it is excellent fare for fans of campy sci-fi that would be right at home on MST:3K and quite humorous when taken with a grain of salt.

The hottest hottie ever?
Okay, so these days Jane Fonda is weird, which is entirely understandable given that she is married to Ted Turner, who can often be found snoozing during Braves games, wearing a cap 3 sizes too big for his head. But in "Barbarella," Jane Fonda is unbelievably hot, to the point where I questioned whether this movie was real or a mere figment of my fantastical imaginations. Well, it's real, people, and you need to see it. Not only is Jane utterly flawless (which can be easily seen by comparing her to today's "hot" stars like Britney Speers, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Denise Richards), she also invites every male character in the film to basically have his way with her. Um, waiter, check please? But seriously, we cannot be supporting this type of wanton behavior (primarily for the reason that the women who act this way in the real world look more like George Forman than Jane Fonda), so this type of vision is best left to the campy comedy known as "Barbarella." I am 21, mind you, so I am not biased towards the 60's, but I am telling you not to miss out on the world's perfect female--watch it.

A trip
This movie is a trip. In spite of what agenda-driven, right-wingers have to say about it, based on their personal dislike for Jane Fonda and her oppinions of the Vietnam war, this movie is a true classic. It's campy to a point that it makes you think how serious, pragmatic and booring people have become over the past decades. It's a total groovie trip. It doesn't take itself seriously at any moment. And best of all, it actually has lines to read between.

Hanoi Jane in her best role
The only movie she ever made that I can sit through.

Ban Jane Fonda
Read up about her role in the Vietnam War before giving her your patronage. ... Read more

Description

One of the greatest films about film ever made, Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 (Otto e Mezzo) turns one man's artistic crisis into a grand epic of the cinema. Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) is a director whose film-and life-is collapsing around him. An early working title for the film was La Bella Confusione (The Beautiful Confusion), and Fellini's masterpiece is exactly that: a shimmering dream, a circus, and a magic act. The Criterion Collection is proud to present the 1963 Academy Award® winner for Best Foreign-Language Film-one of the most written about, talked about, and imitated movies of all time-in a beautifully restored new digital transfer. Disc two features Fellini's rarely seen first film for television, Fellini: A Director's Notebook (1969). Produced by Peter Goldfarb, this imagined documentary of Fellini is a kaleidoscope of unfinished projects, all of which provide a fascinating and candid window into the director's unique and creative process. ... Read more

Reviews (78)

We invent ourselves endlessly!
1. Federico Fellini. Sensitive, vulgar - il maestro.
2. Saraghina - beauty and repulsion just a few jiggles away.
3. Sandra Milo is dimples dangerous and blessed.
4. Marcello M. as Guido Enselmi, loveable hypocrite.
5. Guido's father moaning about his burial arrangements.
6. A little fantasy in reality or a little reality in fantasy.
7. Claudia Cardinale carrying mineral water.
8. Crappy musical inspired by film. How many movies claim that honor?
1/2. The spaceship - masculinity/identity in progress of going up or coming down?

The "close but no cigar" portion of the list:
Terry Gilliam carries on about how scenes in this movie have influenced his career (see no.2); Nino Rota's music, brilliant as always, probably should have been included in my top eight list; DVD extras - especially lost gem A DIRECTOR'S NOTEBOOK; boring commentary; when this picture first opened in Italy, the anticipation was compared to the excitement over a new Rossini work in his time; Fellini was like a fish in water when it comes to film design and invention - a true master; It moves at its own pace and logic, critics be damned; Fellini was brilliant because the people who worked on his films were equally brilliant - the best in their respective fields; the whip-master fantasy, I can actually agree with the impulse behind that one; it's an epic about one man's over-sized ego - what a wonderful subject to create a brilliant film about! The perfect movie for a century that has been incredibly affected/effected by the ideas purported by the science of psychology. Fellini had stated he was a great admirer of Carl Jung's work, and it is no surprise he would take up that banner.

If you can, check out CITY OF WOMEN - another film by Fellini that works on a similar logic, but takes it several steps beyond what he did with 8 1/2. Ciao!

Life is our greatest invention!
1. Federico Fellini. Sensitive, vulgar - il maestro.
2. Saraghina - beauty and repulsion just a few jiggles away.
3. Sandra Milo is dimples dangerous and blessed.
4. Marcello M. as Guido Enselmi, loveable hypocrite.
5. Guido's father moaning about his burial arrangements.
6. A little fantasy in reality or a little reality in fantasy.
7. Claudia Cardinale carrying mineral water.
8. Crappy musical inspired by film. How many movies claim that honor?
1/2. The spaceship - masculinity/identity in progress of going up or coming down?

The "close but no cigar" portion of the list:
Terry Gilliam carries on about how scenes in this movie have influenced his career (see no.2); Nino Rota's music, brilliant as always, probably should have been included in my top eight list; DVD extras - especially lost gem A DIRECTOR'S NOTEBOOK; boring commentary; when this picture first opened in Italy, the anticipation was compared to the excitement over a new Rossini work in his time; Fellini was like a fish in water when it comes to film design and invention - a true master; It moves at its own pace and logic, critics be damned; Fellini was brilliant because the people who worked on his films were equally brilliant - the best in their respective fields; the whip-master fantasy, I can actually agree with the impulse behind that one; it's an epic about one man's over-sized ego - what a wonderful subject to create a brilliant film about! The perfect movie for a century that has been incredibly affected/effected by the ideas purported by the science of psychology. Fellini had stated he was a great admirer of Carl Jung's work, and it is no surprise he would take up that banner.

If you can, check out CITY OF WOMEN - another film by Fellini that works on a similar logic, but takes it several steps beyond what he did with 8 1/2. Ciao!

A CONTROVERSIAL MOVIE.
Frequently, the name or label "Art film" is given to a movie that presents innovative techniques, an experimental narrative, abstract and ambiguous characters, complex dialogues...and slow pace, with complicated scenes, so complicated that the audience doesn't quite know what's happening, sure you can say a theory or what you think might be happening, but in the "Art films" sometimes even the director can't give an accurate explanation. Anyway, since "8 ½" presents all those elements, "8 ½" is an art film.

Federico Fellini's cinema is one of the most mysterious and influent styles at the same time, modern filmmakers such as David Lynch owe a lot to the italian director. With "8 ½" happens something very interesting, there are a lot of scenes that are almost incomprehensible, but they are very interesting to see, because since the movie offers few explanations, the audience must be thinking most of the time, trying to solve the puzzle, so "8 ½" requires an active audience.

The cast is very good, the obvious mentions are Marcello Mastroianni and the gorgeous actress Claudia Cardinale. "8 ½" presents some of Fellini's trademarks: there are a lot of surreal scenes that look like a complicated Dream, or a Nightmare if you wish. The use of the camera is very artistic and groundbreaking. And the pace is slow.

The thing with the "Art cinema" is that for some, it's the only way of cinema that really counts, and for others the art cinema is just a pretentious way to call a slow and boring movie. I choose not to be in any of those extremes, I rather be in the middle because to me "8 ½" is a very, very interesting movie, worthy of study and analysis, but sincerely I think that Fellini did better movies, like "La Strada" or "La Dolce Vita".

Anyway, "8 ½" definitely is not for fans of the "American Pie" trilogy or the Adam Sandler's comedies. "8 ½" is for lovers of the cinema in its more artistic expression.

Fellini's fragmented masterpiece of an internal crisis...
The prominent film director Guido (Marcello Mastroianni) finds himself overworked, harassed, and fatigued in all aspect of being. Guido is sent to a health spa where he is supposed to recover from his stressful life, but instead is continuously pursued by people around him, by his past, and by his conscious. The people around Guido are either dependent on him, desire his company, or merely try to advertise themselves in his presence. In order to cope with a large number of people Guido has developed a social dance where he is able to circumvent or approach the individuals of his choosing. This dance is also Guido's way of dealing with life and its complications, which affects him physically, psychologically, and socially.

8½ fragmentally displays Guido's life as he dances between reality, dreams, and memories in the developmental stage of a film production. This cerebral dance helps him to avoid what is deemed as uncomfortable as he escapes into his memories where he can find some joy and peace. However, Guido often reminds himself of how his past sometimes plagues him as he can recollect deep memories of discomfort and guilt. These negative emotions lead Guido into an internal crisis where he struggles with his decisions in the light of moral judgment that is heavily weighted by his Catholic upbringing. Despite the internal crisis, the dance continuous as Guido is compelled to flee his painful memories by seeking company outside of his marriage as he seeks self-affirmation when he is alone. The cheating provokes further guilt which urges Guido to remain dancing as he escapes into a dream world where he attempts to unify memories with the present where his consciousness sets the rules. But to Guido's dismay he finds the dreams forcing him back into reality as his dreams rebel against himself. This is due to his conflicting ideas that are simultaneously rejected and approved of in order to find temporary happiness and please those around him. In essence, it is Guido's denial of his own lies that is the root to his guilt and unhappiness.

Fellini's 8½ is a cinematic masterpiece, which encourages analytical and artistic thinking as it dives into a dense fabric of inventive imagery. Vividly Fellini paints Guido's moral crisis onto the silver screen, which offers a surreal cinematic experience as it drifts between reality and dreams. In addition, 8½ shows Fellini's profound understanding of human psychology, which possibly could have been based on himself. The fragmented story line enhances the visual feeling of the stress that Mastroianni's character experiences as well as developing a deep understanding for his mind. The opening shot where Guido dreams of being enclosed in a smoldering car stuck in traffic displays Fellini's true cinematic genius as he develops an image of panic, anxiety, and fear. This visualization is something that can be discovered in every film that Fellini has directed as well as his trademark of having a circus-like atmosphere. 8½ has everything of what makes it a Fellini film, which offers a unique experience that could only have been accomplished by a true cinematic artist.

Best Movie About the Artist
I saw 8 ½ (1963) for the first time on South Street in Philadelphia at the old TLA theatre. I was in my mid-twenties and liked the big-breasted women. Saw the movie again yesterday at the Colonial in Phoenixville, PA, a wonderfully restored small town theatre, and reentered the world of the great director Federico Fellini. The cast consisted of Marcello Mastroianni (mid life crisis of the great director), Claudia Cardinale (the perfect woman), Sandra Milo (the chesty but dim lover) and Anouk Aimée (the ordinary wife he cheats on).For Fellini, 8 ½ continued a trend away from the realism of his early movies to a surrealistic view of his own life. The film has a simple premise. The great director has no idea what his next movie is about, while his producer and film company wait for Mastroianni to tell them what the movie is about. It does not help that Mastroianni falls in love with every woman in the cast and every woman he ever knew. The famous harem scene is near the end of the movie, where all the women in his life await his every whim. The older ones get banished upstairs. When the women revolt, he gets his whip and regains order. The women love him again. Oh, irony, but in Surrealism, Freud reigns supreme and dreams are a wish. I rate 8 ½ one of ten best movies ever made. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Few directors polarize audiences like Peter Greenaway, a filmmaker asinfluenced by Jacobean revenge tragedy and 17th century painting as by theFrench New Wave. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover isboth adored and detested for its combination of sumptuous beauty andrevolting decadence. A vile, gluttonous thief (Michael Gambon, TheSinging Detective) spews hate and abuse at a restaurant run by a stoicFrench cook (Richard Bohringer, Diva), but under the thief's nosehis wife (the ever-sensuous Helen Mirren, Prime Suspect) conductsan affair with a bookish lover (Alan Howard, Strapless). Clothing(by avant-garde designer Jean-Paul Gaultier) changes color as thecharacters move from room to room. Nudity, torture, rotting meat, and TimRoth (Reservoir Dogs) at his sleaziest all contribute theatmosphere of decay and excess. Not for everyone, but for some, essential.--Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (74)

Even Worse Than Gummo
I cannot fathom how this horrendous onslaught of depravity masquerading as a film has received such good reviews. There is no plot so I'll sum up what "went on": a classy lady is inexplicably married to a grotesque, low-class criminal, and she goes with him and his gang of thugs nightly to this restaurant that, if I have deciphered the terse grunts serving as exposition correctly, he owns, where he wreaks havoc on the staff and other patrons. The wife endures this for awhile and then decides to have an affair with some guy who also goes there every single night.

Throughout the entire film there are gratuitous disgusting images which never ever let up. The characters are like a child's set of Fisher Price dolls: "Nice Guy," "Nice Lady," "Innocent Little Boy," and we are expected to care what happens to them. The villain comes out looking the best because he is the only one who's not a doormat, and the lead actress (Helen Mirren) is completely unsympathetic. They could have stuck a cardboard cut-out in any of her scenes and achieved the same effect. Not only does the whole movie look like gangrene, but the actors are also purposely made unattractive, so the viewer doesn't even have that to chalk up as a redeeming quality.

I know it's supposed to be challenging and contraversial and blabla...it fails. The two stars are for Gaultier's costumes. Go buy Un Chien Andalou.

Oh my goodness!
I went into Peter Greenaway's "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" with blinders on. I had absolutely no idea what to expect as the movie started, none whatsoever. I slightly suspected the director made "art" films due to a faint recollection of a discussion I saw on a bulletin board years ago, but that was all I could remember. Heck, I thought Uma Thurman was in this film for some reason! Obviously, this was my first experience with Greenaway, a director I have since learned is noted for creating disturbing films designed to upset audiences. I'll bet this masterpiece had arty types fleeing for the doors! Boy, I wish I'd seen this in an art house when it came out. I'm used to seeing films dealing with subject matter far worse than this one, but viewers who spend their time watching pictures about relationships and strolls through a park on a sunny day aren't. Yes, Greenaway's film deals with abhorrent themes expressed in undeniably grotesque forms. Yes, the picture has ugly scenes of violence. Yes, relationships of a decidedly revealing nature play a big part in the plot. What did you expect from a NC-17 rated picture? Don't worry-you can handle it. Actually, you'll probably be glad that you sat through it because this is a marvelous movie.

"The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover" starts on a particularly memorable note. Big time gangster and thief Albert Spica (Michael Gambon), his wife Georgina (Helen Mirren), and his entourage pull up to the back door of a fancy restaurant run by the fabulous French chef Richard Borst (Richard Bohringer), ready for a night of fine dining and obnoxious behavior. Spica is a notorious brute, a beefy, sadistic thug who enjoys tormenting everyone around him, especially his wife Georgina. Greenaway sets the tone immediately by having a pack of dogs snap and snarl outside the restaurant as Spica presides over the humiliation of an underling. The bad behavior continues inside as Spica and his miscreants throw food, insult the staff and fellow customers, and generally make fools out of themselves. Night after night, Spica and his band of dangerous ruffians return to the restaurant, tormenting Borst and his staff as the restaurant's business drains away. No one, it seems, wants to spend an evening eating next to a guy like Spica.

One gentleman seems relatively unbothered by the ruckus a couple of tables over. Michael (Alan Howard), a scholarly looking librarian who always reads a book while he eats, simply ignores Spica's loud theatrics. When he makes eye contact with the gorgeous Georgina, however, sparks fly. Within minutes the two are in the bathroom madly pawing away at each other. The clandestine affair continues night after night, with both Michael and Georgina continually aware that Albert Spica or one of his goons could discover the tryst at any moment. Eventually, the staff of the restaurant plays a part in helping the two lovebirds meet, allowing them to use the nooks and crannies in the cavernous kitchen and deflecting any suspicions posed by Albert. Georgina uses Michael as a respite from her vicious husband, a chance to escape his obnoxious behaviors if even for a few precious minutes. Spica's wife soon finds the strength to flee from Albert, moving in with Michael in his library. The thuggish Albert flies into a rage over his wife's disappearance. It's not that he cares for her in any way (he definitely doesn't), but his massive ego cannot stand the idea of her being with another man. Spica tracks down Michael and has him murdered by stuffing pages from a book about the French Revolution down his throat. The conclusion to the film is one of the most memorable in recent film history.

After I watched Greenaway's film, I looked a few things up. Some bright film critics in England see this picture as a critique of the Thatcher years, with Spica standing in for the right wing, Georgina as England, and her lover as the hapless political left. Maybe, but I didn't see any of that in the film. I spent too much time chuckling over the coarse behavior of Spica and his goons-one played by Tim Roth in an early role, by the way-and enjoying the stunning Helen Mirren. She's so beautiful here that your heart aches over the indignities she suffers at the hands of Albert. She's also not afraid to do some daring scenes, a lesson she probably learned from her role in the Tinto Brass and Bob Guccione classic "Caligula," made some ten years before this film. If you still need to a reason to watch the movie, if the political symbolism and charged situations leave you cold, check out the great musical score by Michael Nyman and the sumptuous atmosphere of the restaurant. The colors and décor of the dining establishment take your breath away, and Greenaway further uses color by having people's outfits change hue as they walk from room to room. What does it all mean? Who knows, but it's fun to watch.

The DVD version of the film I saw didn't have much in the way of extras besides a trailer and a widescreen picture transfer. No matter, though. The movie is challenging enough to make you forget all about commentaries, stills, and any other of the usual extras. After watching "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover," I would like to see other Peter Greenaway films. Unfortunately, most of them have not received a reissue on DVD. If the subject matter is as disturbing as this film, no wonder! I recommend renting this movie and then inviting some friends over to watch it. Don't tell them anything about it beforehand, though. Just sit back and watch the jaws drop.

Great Film; has it aged well?
Remember seeing this film when it first came out and loving every aspect about it - from the artistic direction, sets, costumes, music to the story line. Now, more than ten years later, after watching the DVD, I've noticed that the movie isn't as shocking as it was the first time around. I still wish the DVD version had subtitles in order to fully understand the thick, heavy British accent. Still, the movie can be enjoyed without even understanding the dialogue - almost as if it were a Silent movie.
And after ten years the only thing about the movie that looks aged are the trendy costumes that Gaultier designed.
The film's visual imagery continues to be its strongest asset with allusions to the Flemish and Spanish Masters of the Baroque Era

disgusting trash
Yuk! How do I give this a negative 5 star rating?

i got a question.
i want to buy "the cook,the thief,his wife & her lover",but i
want to know if there's an audio french version,or subtitles;if
it is,i'll buy it right now. ... Read more

Description

In a riot of color and music, master animator Bruno Bozzetto offers his irreverent tribute to Disney’s Fantasia.Transcending parody, this erotic, satiric, and delirious animated feature represents Bozzetto’s vision of the world.In six distinct episodes, fantastic cartoon creatures march, slither, and bounce to the classical rhythms of Debussy, Dvorak, Ravel, Sibelius, Vivaldi, and Stravinsky.Perhaps most entrancing is the visualization of Ravel’s "Bolero," in which the dregs of a Coke® bottle set forth a frenzied animal evolution across a surreal landscape.Maurizio Nichetti (The Icicle Thief, Volere Volare) stars in the equally wild live-action sequences that introduce each piece.For many critics, Allegro non troppo matches or surpasses the imagination and technique of Disney’s masterpiece. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Finally,..to be released on DVD
I have the laserdisc of Allegro Non Troppo, and it's good to see that it's finally going to be released on DVD. As most readers of this already know, ANT is Bruno Bozzetto's Fantasia-styled movie. ANT has a beautiful sense of humor that no Disney animated movie has had. Some of the animation in some of the scenes is "primitive" compared to Fantasia, but the simple animation works very well with the humorous scenes. My favorite animated scenes? Slavonic Dance and the Finale. Very funny stuff (and very simply drawn, too.) This is a great movie and I hope it gets proper treatment for DVD. One thing that appears to be missing from the DVD is the English-dubbed track for the live-action scenes between the animated scenes. It will be nice to hear the original Italian dialog, but I will not be able to understand it and have to rely on the subtitles. It's sad that the English dubbing has not been included. (Why hasn't it been included?) Especially in comedies like ANT, dubbing into other languages can be used for comedic effect. (An extreme example of this is What's Up, Tiger Lily?) For this reason, I'm giving 4 stars for the DVD. Despite the lack of the English track, I'm eagerly awaiting the DVD's release...but I will still hang on to my laserdisc.

Brilliant animation, pretty good satire
It's okay to like Fantasia and Allegro non troppo too. But they're not the same, which makes the satire of Disney so funny, especially after 20 years of massive Disney expansionism.

Animating music, which is inherently abstract, is always a risk. However, if you aren't too worried about everything being pretty (like in Fantasia), this film will work for you. How can you tell? If you're still dry-eyed after watching the Sibelius Walse triste sequence, there's something wrong with you.

Highly Entertaining
I'd seen this in college (about 1979?) as required for a music course. There were no Italian translations, and I mostly found it confusing. The DVD release has subtitles, and is most enjoyable. I especially found the "Best of" additional short works funny and mildly political (love/peace/green earth hippie ideals of the 1960's and 1970's). There's enough sexual content and mild nudity that I'd would suggest not for younger than 10 year olds.

Superb!
This really is a wonder to behold. The animation is breath taking and the stories are straight from the heart. Much better than Fantasia. Also, the bonus footage on the DVD is wonderful. Buy this DVD!

Video for Music Class
Allegro Non Troppo is the best animated feature I have ever seen. All the humor and pathos of music are creatively expressed in each segment. I saw this feature in college and have never forgotten it. My favorite part is the "Sad Waltz" (Valse Triste) by Sibelius. ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! I will be using parts of the movie in my music classes. The kids need something new and fresh. ... Read more

Description

Jean Renoir's 1939 classic is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, and Criterion is very proud to present the film in a special two-disc edition. Cloaked in a comedy of manners, this scathing critique of corrupt French society is about a weekend hunting party at which amorous escapades abound among the aristocratic guests-which are also mirrored by the activities of the servants downstairs. The refusal of one of the guests to play by society's rules sets off a chain of events that ends in tragedy. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

The Game Rules
"The Rules of the Game" directed by Jean Renoir is now ranked #1 on many film critic lists. Renior built a comedy of manners around old stories. When this film was viewed in Paris in 1939 there was a near riot. The critics hated it for political reasons, but also because characters were walking about the Chateau at amazing speed and angles. If you don't understand the history of the beginnings of WW2, then all will be lost on your Philistine soul. Somehow in an upstairs-downstairs comedy, Renior has described the failed French society. I'll describe the plot concept using English names. Randy, the aviator loves the rich lady, Christine. She's not French; she's Viennese (the only outsider). He's a romantic fool, she's an innocent compared to the Parisian women like Clair, the sophisticated lover of Christine's husband, the Count. Renior plays Alph, a court jester character and friend of Christine from the old days. He's a failed musician. He's also Randy's best friend. The French Count is played by a Jewish actor (which was a scandal in itself considering the anti-Semitism in Europe) So they all leave Paris and go to the country estate of the Count where we meet the servants of the Chateau. Christine's maid, Crystal is playing around with Alph and the newly hired rabbit poacher Jimmy. The gamekeeper, the cuckold Paul chases the amorous Jimmy around the Chateau with a gun for the next forty minutes. All the lovers and friends switch partners amidst declarations of love, slaughter of animals, and fist fights. In the end, noone is in love with anyone and all of society is concerned with the game, which is where he or she were in the first place. Truth is not a concern and the masterpiece is complete.

The DVD of the Year.
On its surface, "The Rules of the Game" is a light farce involving the couplings - and decouplings - of an assortment of weekend guests staying at the chateau of the Comte de la Cheyniest (Marcel Dalio). Without knowing any other context, the film can be enjoyed on this level: Renoir's writing (he co-scripted) is witty and his direction is elegant and sublime. His fluid long-shots make you feel like you're gliding along in this rarified - though topsy-turvy - world; and his open approach to the actors is suffused with generosity. He never allows us to focus on one particular person, or couple, because, in this social world, "everyone has their reasons" and everyone's actions bounce and intertwine with everyone else's.

As a homage and updating of a classic French farce, "Rules" is flawless; it is, however, as a commentary on the decline of a social order that makes this more than a cinematic souffle. Shot in 1939, "between Munich and the War" as Renoir says, the film is portrait of the European aristocracy where ethical codes (conjugal fidelity above all) are not only violated, but are even dismissed as irrelevant. Human relationships collapse and reform with sudden ease (witness the gameskeeper and the poacher) and those who cling to outmoded notions of love and faithfulness set themselves up for disaster (such as the aviator). This is the domestic complement to Renoir's war drama, "La Grande Illusion", where the mournful French and German artistocratic officers, having more in common amongst themselves than with the common soldiers of their respective nationalities, lament that mechanized warfare has rendered their class irrelevant.

Both "Illusion" and "Rules" may seem irrelevant themselves in the US, which did not have a traditional feudal aristocracy. Yet both films fascinate by showing individuals attempting to survive, and thrive, in worlds where the old, comfortable standards no longer apply. If the aristocrats in "Rules" openly, and rather disinterestedly, conduct affairs with each others' spouses, why shouldn't a humble poacher poach a gameskeeper's wife too? If "everyone has their reasons", the famous quote from the film, then, who's to decide which "reasons" are justified or unjust, legitimate or scandalous?

The Criterion double-disc sets its own standards. The extras are plentiful and fascinating, including interviews from the few remaining cast and crew members, the essay booklet intelligent and penetrating, and the transfer quality of the film is superb considering the film's history (having been cut at its premiere, banned, its original negative destroyed in WWII, and finally reassembled in the late 1950's). This disc was clearly a labor of love and the effort shows throughout: this disc is worth Criterion's asking price.

One of the greatest movie ever. Hardly.
Let's see. We have an aldulterer, a cheat, a liar, a slut & a guy with anger management issues. They all exist in this ultra chic, super rich sub-culture. If such a time (the 30's) & place ever existed it is easy to see why the French lost to the Germans, one year after this movie was actually made.
It is of course a satire & a pretty good one at that. The host, of a weekend hunting party has a mistress. He is afraid his wife is going have an affair with the another guest a hero flyer a la Charles Lindberg. But she has other admirers as well. My favorite character is the slut, the maid whose new husband take exception to her behavior. The whole mess is overseen by Jean Renoir, the director, who is also a major player in the movie itself. Eventually there is a murder. I won't tell who is murdered or who the murderer is here. On the dvd there is an alternate ending. A shorter version of the last scenes came out in 1959. This imparts a totally different context from the original which was banned in 1939. It is well done & gives different meanings to the motives of all involved. The major drawback is it is in French with English subtitles. But you'd want to pay strict attention to this one in any case.

The Rules of the Game - Criterion Collection
When affluent Marquis Robert de la Chesnaye (Marcel Dalio) hosts a party at his sprawling property, emotions run high. Guests include Robert's mistress Genevieve (Mila Parely) and pilot Andre Jurieu (Roland Toutain), who fancies Robert's wife, Christine (Nora Gregor). Meanwhile, Schumacher (Gaston Modot) is trying to keep Marceau (Julien Carette) from hitting on his wife (Paulette Dubost). All the while, the servants watch with great interest.

I again can not think of a title
Corruption of the French aristocracy and their "Rules of the game" that they abide by in order to remain where they are, it revolves around a central plot of this pilot who flies to France for the woman he loved but she is marries and the husband is trying to end the affair and they are all with a bunch of members of the aristocracy, it is truly a great film. Criterion collection is growing to my liking quite a lot, the picture and sound are great for a movie made in 1939. Good movie, watch it you fiend. ... Read more

Reviews (48)

like gin and tonic in a hot day
This movie could well be the European version of the American sitcom. Being European means that it's short(er,) sex(-ual perversity some would say) comes as a matter of factly, and with the major theme strongly anchored in the current state of European affairs. New and old national clichés are being illustrated by the characters in an novel setting. The characters, embodying students from different European nations, share (or rather overfill) an apartment in Barcelona. We see the Italian gaffe-ur, the righteous Brit, the history sensitive German, the French rationalist, etc. slowly inventing a common language, (which at times could be English, Spanish, French,) trading-off space and time, continuously testing the(ir) confines, all these and more in order to reach short-lasting yet fulfilling equilibria. There is a funny illustration even for the "extramarital" affair between Britain and the USA...

The actors' play is refreshing and casting is appropriate. The whole movie has plenty of color and maintains a sustained rhythm throughout. There will be more ways than one in which one can view/describe this movie, however one can at least enjoy it for its freshness that feels like a gin-and-tonic in a hot summer day. A well deserved 4 star...

Fun, frivolous, Euro-Friends froth
This film is a lot of fun. Basically "Friends" in a Euro setting. It's a bit more "coming of age" story than your average episode of Friends (read: slightly deeper), and the visuals are more attractive than Friends' NY apartment. So, I'd recommend it as a good date movie. There are however major chunks of political Euro-correctness that (happily) will be missed by most Yank viewers (The Catalan language discussion, identity politics preaching, Erasmus as euro-intellectual, etc.), and the film's happy ending has little to do with the hijinks at the Spanish apartment in Barcelona. The suggestion is that somehow the largely (superficial and shallow) sexual exploits in Barcelona helped our protagonist discover his inner-artist (writer) and avoid the marriage plus EC-bureaucrat path he was originally on. The characters are interesting (at least those that are more developed), but most are little more that cardboard cut-outs filling a role rather than manifesting a personality. And none are any deeperer than Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Monica, Phoebe, or Joey (In fact, the one American --- a.k.a. "stupid American" -- in the flick may actually be Joey. This too seems to be part of the film's Euro-polictical anti-American correctness.) It's a fun movie, but it ain't as deep or psychologically insightful as it wants to be --- or would like the viewer to think it is. Still, it beats most of the fare available at your local Blockbusters. So give it a go, y'all!

The BEST film after Amélie...
This film is absolutely beautiful, almost perfect...perfect, indeed! The best film I have ever seen after, of course, Amélie...
What can I say? It's an EUROPEAN film, and that says it all...enjoy this beautiful piece of art...and let you go...Dream...

Good movie - but some scenes were obviously cut from the DVD
I remember seeing the poster for this movie at a movie theater
where it was playing last year - movie sounded interesting but
didn't see it at the time. Forgot about it until a couple of weeks ago, when I saw Around the World in 80 Days - the lead female character was played by Cecile de France. Intrigued by this actress, I did a database search on her and found out she was in L'Auberge Espagnole, along with Audrey Tautou (who I
remembered from Dirty Pretty Things). So I ordered this DVD.

Enjoyed this movie, especially de France's character (the lesbian
student). It sort of reminds me of my stays at youth hostels when I travel, where you meet and hang out with others who are mainly from Europe (and Down Under). You also run into exchange
students at these places as well (usually taking a break from
their studies and travelling around their host country).

However, it was obvious that the scene where the English sister and brother were arguing in her bedroom was severly cut, evident in the sloppy editing (especially right after she kicks him out of her room, you see a cut and then you see them hugging and making up). The edits were also mentioned by a reviewer from
April 6th - there could be others but I didn't see the movie at a theater, so I'm not sure.

Like chocolate cake!
In the movie, L'auberge espagnol (The Spanish Apartment) is translated as "European pudding" - an apt description of the movie it titles. The plot? Xavier, 24, out of school and unsure of his prospects spends a year in Barcelona. Why? He's studying economics and learning Spanish so he can get a job in stocks back in his native Paris. After three weeks of living on the couch of an acquaintance he met at the airport, our man finds a place with a group of European students in the same exchange program, and the eurpoean mixing commences. The players? Spanish, Belgian, English, Swedish, Italian, French, and German. All are equally chill in a generic, college aged, exchange student way. The story follows everyone as they work, study, play, fall in and out of love, and generally amuse us with their mistakes and foibles. Though fitting seven strangers in one small apartment seems like a Real World setup (with arguments and sex to follow) the players all seem extremely mellow. If there are fights, they're about the obnoxious houseguests...but even this can be either appreciated or ignored. Perhaps it's all the pot smoking they're doing, but the roommates really did get along, and while they were at it they made me believe that anyone could live and play in Spain, even neurotic old me.

L'auberge espagnol is a coming-of-age fable set in modern day Barcelona, where the players are hip and the Bohemian rules. The movie is like a piece of cake (or pudding?): fluffy, sweet, and makes you feel good without weighing you down. It's on the edge of being a chick-flick but doesn't have the happy ending you might expect. It's a good film...and even better if you're going on an exchange program and want a morale boost. The whimsical filming and editing smooth the icing quite nicely, and the beautiful locations don't hurt, either. ... Read more

Description

An American teenager living in Paris meets and falls in love with a French teenager. Encouraged by an old con man, the two decide to elope. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

For All Nerdy Teen Romantics
I love this movie. I love everything about the movie. The photography of the European cities is marvelous. I've got to visit Venice, Verona, and Paris someday just because of this movie. Also, the score is wonderful and definately deserved its Oscar. The best thing about the movie is the characters. Laurence Olivier as Julius is hilarious. The two leads are also marvelous. Theolonius Bernard as Daniel is great, and I immediately fell in love with Diane Lane as Lauren when I watched it. I've got to say that I am a lot like these teens. I am a huge nerd, and I am a big romantic. I really identified with the characters. The story of this movie is great. The lives of Daniel and Lauren and the reasons for their coming together are captured brilliantly. There are a lot of funny moments and a lot of poignant moments. First love is studied well. Any romantic should watch this and teens should be forced to watch it.

No romance is ever "leetle." This one is "beeg."
A very young (13-ish) couple pursue their dream of kissing beneath the Bridge of Sighs, in Venice, like the 19th century Brownings. As they pursue this dream, they themselves are pursued by the girl's slightly confused and flustered parents. Laurence Olivier, as the young couple's ill-informed yet good-hearted chaperone-along-for-the-ride, is resourceful and fun in every scene. This movie is fantastic.

Diane Lane is elegant but not snobby, as the girl, in a role that marked the first film in her quirky, interesting career. The boy was a bit of a hothead -- he may have put some audiences off, which could explain why he wasn't in more films. Anyway, every single scene is beautifully shot, with innovative camera work and breathtaking French and Italian scenery. It's a great little love story, very high on the list of my favorites. If you enjoy this, let me also recommend "Somewhere in Time," starring Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve, and, for different reasons, "Beautiful Girls," starring Natalie Portman and Timothy Hutton. This is a very, very good movie. Two thumbs up.

A beautiful gem of a movie
I was sorry to have missed this when it came out (in 1979 when I was 18), then forgot about it for many years. The other day I saw a picture of Diane Lane, and remembered this movie, and decided it would be a good family film that my wife and 2 oldest kids (girl 12, boy 15) would enjoy.

It was indeed. I don't have much to add to the glowing reviews others have already given it here; I'll just note that

1) There are so many subtle grace notes that repeated viewings will be well repaid
2) It is not suitable for 10 and under, due to sexual references
3) I wish even more now that I'd seen "A Little Romance" when it came out, its existence in my memory would have enriched my life for the past 24 years

What really makes the movie a classic is bullseye performers by ALL the actors. The hardest kind of character for an actor to play is an extremely intelligent one, only very intelligent actors can do it, and the two leads are up to it. (Too bad the scriptwriter uses the word "etymological" once when he means "ontological", it is the kind of mistake Lauren would never have made, but this is the tiniest possible blemish, and no movie this rich can avoid having a handful of forgivable glitches).

First love made to last
Set in France and Italy and deluged with picturesque scenery, and with Laurence Olivier playing a fairy (ahem) godfather, this charming love story is made to last forever. This is Diane Lane's debut movie (the young girl who falls in love with a Frenchman). Combined with Sally Kellerman's wonderful role as the off-the-wall mom, this little romance turns into a film for the ages.
Watch it, weep, and smile. Have some chocolate and go to bed with a lover.

Bingo!
Just a beautiful movie. Every scene is its own little masterpiece. I have tried, via the useful technology of DVD, to catch only a scene or two over morning coffee. Twice now, I have ended up watching the rest of the movie. If you are uncomfortable getting misty-eyed in front of others, watch this movie alone. There are few works that I can think of that are as thrilling as this movie. ... Read more

Reviews (176)

An Unexpected Delight
Jim Jarmusch doesn't do films like anyone else and let's all say a big 'thank-you' for that. With 'Ghost Dog', he demonstrates an understanding of Japanese culture and film traditions than far exceeds the likes of Tarantino, and at the same a connection to contemporary hip-hop, the likes of which hasn't been seen in celluloid since 'Do the Right Thing'.

The film centres around the eponymous hero, a black hitman, or 'retainer' as he puts it, for a local mafia clan, who follows the Samurai code, meditating and practising his swordplay in his modest rooftop hut which he shares only with his pigeons. In this role, Forest Whitaker puts in an outstanding performance full of understated power and pathos, at once bulky and balletic, that emphasises how criminally neglected he is, and indeed black actors are more generally (Washington and Berry's Oscars notwithstanding), by Hollywood.

Ghost Dog is estranged from the city as he struggles to follow his archaic code of honour, his only human connections made to a Haitian ice-cream vendor who speaks only French, and a little girl who loves reading. They aren't the only ones: coping with the absurdity of the uncaring city, its bleakness, poverty, lonelines and racism is a key theme in 'Ghost Dog'; those who survive need something to connect them to the real and to the transcendent: at one point, Ghost Dog and his Haitian friend come across a Hispanic man building a full-sized boat on a nearby roof-top, a labour of love that has no practical use.

The film is infused with genuine but very edgy humour: Ghost Dog's almost empathic understanding with the ice-cream vendor somehow transcends their mutual linguisitc imcomprehension is joyous and affecting. There are some genuine moments of slapstick and absurdity from the outdated, incompetant and decidely dishonourable mafia men who give Ghost Dog his orders and eventually decide to have him eliminated, in particular their leader's bizarre love of Public Enemy's Flavor Flav, and their inability to cope with Ghost Dog's carrier pigeons.

The sound-track by the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA is a far more complex jazz-inflected hip-hop confection than you might have hoped for, meshing perfectly with the moodily-filmed cityscpes, and he also makes a very brief - but perfectly judged - cameo appearance!

Occasionally you stumble across a film that turns out to be an unexpected delight. 'Ghost Dog' is one of them.

what is this rubbish?
I think this movie COULD have been great. There are some funny moments: the icecream man scenes, and the mob members trying to catch those pigeons. But this movie was bizarre, and it dragged. There were countless shots of birds flying in the sky...no kidding. It was painful to watch from the begining to the end, i had to take frequent breaks to work my morale back up. I'm very glad i borrowed this from a friend instead of paying money to see it.

Whittaker Shines
Forrest Whittaker is certainly one of our most talented and underrated actors. This role probably allows him the greatest latitude to express a wide range of emotions since he starred as Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood's "Bird" or in the gender-bender "The Crying Game." As Ghost Dog, he winds his way through Jim Jarmusch's script with grace & depth.

In adopting the way of the Samurai, GDog latches onto Louie, a mid-level mob boss played by John Tormey. The mix of cultures is a familiar Jarmusch theme that is exceptionally well realized in this DVD. One of the most interesting aspects of the film is GDog's relationship to his French-speaking best friend Raymond. The two often converse, not understanding each other's language but almost mirroring each other's thoughts as the subtitled French indicates. Isaach de Bankole does a great job as the ice cream truck-driving friend. Also very pivotal to the film is the wonderful screen time given to Camille Winbush as Pearline, a child who GDog loans a copy of Rashamon to. There is a great rapport between the two.

The Italian crime bosses are ironically played for laughs with Cliff Gorman's inept mob boss front & center. As Vargo, Henry Silva who has such a great ethnic look and has played in "Dick Tracy" & "Oceans 11" does a great job of being hard-edged and incompetent. His daughter Louise is a witness to one of GDog's early executions and eventually orders Louie to perform the hit on our star.

With the aspects of carrier pigeons and a guy building an arc on a city rooftop, we see numerous interesting cultural aspects and humor combined in the drama. This is an interesting film melding Asian culture with modern crime, kind of a Hip-Hop version of Kung Fu. Whittaker keeps us glued to the screen for a most interesting performance. Enjoy!

Good, could have been great
I liked this movie for the most part but it was the ending that put me off. I really did not want to see Ghost Dog die in that way, at the hands of a white man who did not understand him or his philosophy. I wish that Forrest Whitaker's character could have shown more determination to fight and survive, with more of what the samurai author of Hagakure would have called "martial valor". But then isn't it the juxtaposition of the cold, efficient samurai code with this gentle, somewhat bemused giant part of what makes the film interesting? Come to think of it, the samurai were more concerned with an honourable death than with mere survival. A better ending, at least for me, would have had Ghost Dog choosing, at the very last moment, to survive rather than follow the samurai code into the grave.

Surreal and entertaining
This was another gem from the director Jim Jarmusch, who previously brought us the incredibly underrated zen spaghetti western Dead Man. Which mixes some of the same elements, taking several genres, and blending them together in a believable and respectful way.

Forest Whitaker is playing the main character. A street punk who follows a bushido code and considers himself a modern day samurai. He lives his life by this strict code of honor, and has pledged his life to a mobster who saved him. So he works for this gangster as a contract killer. Never questioning the reasons for his killings, just like a samurai, there is no good and evil. You follow your the will of your master to the death. Through all this you definitely get the feeling that he is alone in this world of his, duty is what concernes him. His only friend is an ice cream vendor that doesn't speak english, just french, which Forest Whittaker's character doesn't.

The second part of this film is the Mafia themself. A comical group of broken down gangsters who are starting to show their age. They are having trouble making their bills, and are suffering from internal conflicts. Obviously their glory days are long gone, and they seem to be waiting for the inevitable.

This movie blends to the two genres well, making them both entertaining and believable for the premise. As we all know the Mafia lost most of it power through the late 70' to the mid 90's. They show this with the age of the mobsters and the fact that they can't even make their bills. The Bushido code wasn't practiced on a grand scale since World War 2 with the Japanese, when they lost the war, a lot of that part of their culture started to dissappear from their lives. So you have two groups that were once held a great deal of power and respect, but now are a shadow of themeselves, being slowly forgotten.

He also manages to make this as surreal as his previous pictures. Not like the sledgehammer to head stylings of Greg Arraki, or force fed surrealism of David Lynch, but more subtle. Lots of people watch cartoons, there are silent interludes where ambiant soundtracks play and you just feel the intensity of the main character, the world has a subdued and detached feel to it, like you are looking from the outside in, the philosophies still hold relavence today despite their age,......

All in all it is a very good movie. Be warned it isn't an action movie, dont' expect any John Woo style gun fights or sword wielding killers, that isn't what this is about. It is something deeper and more introspective. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Pedro Almodóvar scored his first international hit with What Have I Done to Deserve This?, cementing his reputation as Spain's bad-boy director of darkly comedic melodramas. Many of the themes that dominate Almodóvar's later films are evident here, especially his sympathetic affection for downtrodden women like Gloria (Carmen Maura), an exhausted housewife who's addicted to No-Dōz tablets and spends 18-hour days cleaning apartments and tending (just barely) to her teenage sons (one deals drugs, the other offers sex to local perverts), neglectful husband, and looney-tunes mother-in-law--all of whom have a particular knack for getting on her nerves. Toss in a prostitute neighbor, an accidental murder, and a pet lizard named "Money," and you've got the makings of a soap opera by way of Luis Buñuel and John Waters, served up with Almodóvar's distinctive blend of compassionate humanity and kinky outrageousness. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Dark Humor Gives the Film its Edge
As a North American, one is subject to films which are essentially shallow, mindless and repetitious. Rarely is there a film that comes as a surprise. However, Qué he hecho yo para merecer esto offers a completely different cinematic experience. Pedro Almodovar's use of dark humor in Qué he hecho yo is what I found most appealing. The film takes a peek into the lives of the members of a poor working class family and explores their many problems in a tragic but comic way. The film opens with a shot of an enormous apartment complex similar to "the Projects" of the United States defining the films dark aspects and the tragic situation of the family. Soon, the close up takes us into the tiny apartment which is decorated in humorously bad taste, "kitsch". This allows the audience to relax and laugh as it reveals the film's dark humor. Furthermore, the film deals with subjects such as prostitution, child molestation, adultery, murder, drug addiction, and poverty. What I found most interesting was the way in which Almodovar manages to poke fun at these issues. A North American film would never even dare to mention child molestation unless it suggested that the criminal would end up dead, however Qué he hecho yo presents a mother who allows her young son to live with his homosexual dentist after he makes advances towards the boy at his practice. Interestingly, it is one of the films funniest moments. Hence, the film is truly a must see for anyone wishing to escape the monotony of American cinema and who enjoys an unconventional dark comedy.

"No-Doz" are caffeine pills
In Pedro Almodovar's fourth film "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" Gloria (Carmen Maura) lives in a tiny high-rise flat in Madrid which she shares with her boorish, lazy taxi-driver husband, Antonio, their two sons--one is a drug pusher and the other is a teen male prostitute, and Gloria's selfish mother-in-law who hoards her own supply of mineral water and cakes in a locked cabinet. Gloria scrapes by with a pittance doled out to her by her begruding husband, and she cleans homes and businesses to supplement their meagre income.
Gloria exists to serve and clean up for those she lives with, but underneath that harried housewife exterior boils a woman of passion--the film makes that clear very quickly, but will Gloria ever have the opportunity to be more than an unpaid maidservant? Gloria looks around at the four walls of her squalid tiny kitchen, and wonders how her life got to this point. She copes with her miserable, joyless existence thanks to an addiction to caffeine pills, but when she runs out of tablets one day, Gloria explodes.
Almodovar films always include deep friendships and loyalties between women, and "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" is no exception to this rule--Gloria's best friend and confidante is Cristal (played with great good humour by Veronique Forque). Cristal is a chatty prostitute who dreams of going to America. Her free-spirited ways are a threat to Antonio who can't really contemplate a woman like Cristal--a woman who may rent her body out temporarily, but she still remains owned by no-one. Cristal is Almodovar's prostitute with a heart of gold. She finds extra work for Gloria, and Gloria's friendship with Cristal eventually leads to trouble. Some of the best scenes in the film involve Cristal--her open approach to life is hilarious, and some of the scenes with her clients are priceless--the professor who is doing 'research' and the exhibitionist who needs more than Cristal to make up an adequate audience. This is darker than some of his later films, and the bleakness may prove difficult for some viewers to see the film. But the comedy is there--black comedy, but comedy nonetheless. The juxtaposition of the television romances next to the squalor of Gloria's real life are marvellously laced throughout the film. Keep an eye open for the dentist who wants to "adopt" Gloria's youngest son, Miguel. Due to themes and language ... this film is not for the kiddies

Classic Almodovar
This Almodovar classic from the early 80's is an excellent dark comedy. Great characters such as the next door prostitute, the little redhead girl with telekinetic powers, the cheap grandma, the impotent policeman, the gay dentist, the two writers, and so on make for an interesting watch. Many classic lines are found in this one, like the newlywed who gets her face burnt from her husband spilling coffee on her "I'll never forget that cup of coffee" and "I'm diabetic? oh, I always forget at dinner time?"
This film is not really driven by plot, but rather by the characters' lives. Like all Almodovar movies, it is a piece of art, a meditation and a comical look at life, sexual orientation, coincidence, destiny and love.

"Wouldn't happen to have a whip, would you?"
In Pedro Almodovar's fourth film "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" Gloria (Carmen Maura) lives in a tiny high-rise flat in Madrid which she shares with her boorish, lazy taxi-driver husband, Antonio, their two sons--one is a drug pusher and the other is a teen male prostitute, and Gloria's selfish mother-in-law who hoards her own supply of mineral water and cakes in a locked cabinet. Gloria scrapes by with a pittance doled out to her by her begruding husband, and she cleans homes and businesses to supplement their meagre income.

Gloria exists to serve and clean up for those she lives with, but underneath that harried housewife exterior boils a woman of passion--the film makes that clear very quickly, but will Gloria ever have the opportunity to be more than an unpaid maidservant? Gloria looks around at the four walls of her squalid tiny kitchen, and wonders how her life got to this point. She copes with her miserable, joyless existence thanks to an addiction to "no-doze" sedatives, but when she runs out of tablets one day, Gloria explodes.

Almodovar films always include deep friendships and loyalties between women, and "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" is no exception to this rule--Gloria's best friend and confidante is Cristal (played with great good humour by Veronique Forque). Cristal is a chatty prostitute who dreams of going to America. Her free-spirited ways are a threat to Antonio who can't really contemplate a woman like Cristal--a woman who may rent her body out temporarily, but she still remains owned by no-one. Cristal is Almodovar's prostitute with a heart of gold. She finds extra work for Gloria, and Gloria's friendship with Cristal eventually leads to trouble.

Some of the best scenes in the film involve Cristal--her open approach to life is hilarious, and some of the scenes with her clients are priceless--the professor who is doing 'research' and the exhibitionist who needs more than Cristal to make up an adequate audience.

While "What Have I Done To Deserve This?" isn't my all-time favourite Almodovar film, nonetheless, I do re-watch it from time to time, and it really is a great film. It is darker than some of his later films, and the bleakness may prove difficult for some viewers to see the film as a comedy. But the comedy is there--black comedy, but comedy nonetheless. The juxtaposition of the television romances next to the squalor of Gloria's real life are marvellously laced throughout the film. Keep an eye open for the ... dentist who wants to adopt Gloria's youngest son, Miguel. Due to themes and language ... this film is not for the kiddies--displacedhuman--www.Amazon.com Reviewer.

Great dark comedy
Almovodar's Best! (Terrible first date movie, however, with the opening sex scene). Humor along the lines of "Eating Raul". ... Read more

Reviews (30)

wonderful.
This is a movie everyone should see. I know that everyone always writes that, but I really mean it. I've never seen another movie like it in my whole life. there's something hauntingly, charmingly true about it. The story is set in 1918, in a small french town that has been evacuated because there's a bomb hidden. A scottish soldier is sent in to disable it, but he doesn't know where it's hidden or when it's going to go off. Accidentally freeing all the inmates of the insane asylum who've been left (by the fleeing townspeople) in the town, the soldier finds himself stuck among them, trying to convince them to leave, but having no luck. the inmates are irresistibly lovable, carefree, full of wisdom and completely free of all societal restraints. it's impossible not to fall in love with the world they create in the evacuated town. I think the movie is only made better by being in another language: reading the subtitles, you can imagine the characters saying the lines in any way that you want. French is such a beautiful language: that, combined with the unobtrusive music, makes for a film strangely silent and beautiful. It makes me cry. Please go watch it. It's definitely one of my favorites.

Enchanting fantasy; topical allegory; classic movie
A fairy tale set in a French town caught between the opposing armies of the First World War, "King of Hearts" has lost none of its beguiling charm in the 35 years since its original release, nor has its message grown stale. Alan Bates shines as Charles Plumpick, a simple private in a Scottish regiment and perhaps the only sane man in the abandoned town. But is his world of war and brutality really any saner than the make-believe world conjured up by the escaped inmates of the town lunatic asylum, the only residents Private Plumpick encounters during his reconaissance? It is a point of view that depends entirely on one's perspective. This whimsical, gentle tale challenges the watcher to reexamine what constitutes true madness, just as the asylum characters force Pvt. Plumpick, having been to his initial discomfort acclaimed as the King of Hearts, to choose which role he prefers: king of the fools or fool for King George V? Broca directs his own screenplay with a deft touch and using a stellar cast of mostly French actors. A very young Genevieve Bujold makes one of her earliest appearances in a major picture. The English subtitles aren't the best I've seen (and unlike the VHS version, are distractingly present even during English dialogue), but far better than the awful English-dubbed version of "King of Hearts" that is sometimes broadcast or sold. (The best subtitles I have ever seen were on a print that circulated around theatres during the 1970s and 1980s, but I've never seen this version used for home video.) The score by Georges Delerue is one of his best.

Quelle Surprise! This DVD version has, without fanfare, at least two entirely new scenes in the film that I have never seen before (and I first saw this in 1977). The first is a lengthier "homily" by Monseigneur Marguerite (aka Bishop Daisy) in the church before Charles' coronation. But the real grabber is an added scene at the very end of the movie that offers a parting glance at the primary players and a final bittersweet twist. Where on earth did this footage come from, and why has it been missing from this film for so long? Does this DVD version offer a "better" ending than the familiar one? It's debateable. But it's certainly intriguing.

Best Ending Ever!
This movie has the very best ending ever. I'd like to see someone try and find a more surprising, happier, funnier ending than this one. The loonies are in town and they've found their king and my heart. This movie takes the bag. It's my father's very favorite movie and one of mine. I definitely recommend this movie.

A buck-naked skip with birdcage!
This gem should hit many different emotions for the avid viewer. A true parade of carnival characters set in an antiwar theme -- this bit of royalty of the heart brings up aTHE enigma: Is the difference between psychosis and psychic just a paper-thin line of cultural subjectivism? Is the lunacy of blowing up yet another vacant city on the path to glory any different that skipping naked down a path with a birdcage in one's hand?

This film started the boomers reading subtitles and (hopefully) brought them out of their fears of foreign film. (Don't get the dubbed version, it lacks so much charm.) Its popularity had a great deal to do with the country's mass-consciousness about the Viet Nam war; but I hope it would have found the same audience without such a catalyst.

One feels like dancing in a fountain and blowing bubbles on the back of a bus after seeing this great flick. Keep a kazoo handy; you'll want to have something to toot after the film is over and you are left to your organized sanity!

Better yet, follow it up with the 1972 release of "The Ruling Class" and have yourself a truly insane evening of jocularity.

Is there something extra on this DVD?
King of Hearts was, in my younger and more vulnerable years, one of my favorite movies, but I had not seen it in many years. In fact, I'd rather forgotten about it. Then I came across the DVD and bought it and watched it again. Still a great movie, but I was puzzled. My recollection was the final scene of the movie is Plumpick (Alan Bates) appearing at the gate of the asylum naked. Then the credits began (rather abruptly as I recollect). In the DVD, however, there is a short scene after this where Bates has joined the inmates and there is a brief exchange of dialog. I don't recall ever seeing this before, but maybe my memory is foggy. No one else seems to have mentioned this either in ... of IMDB, nor does the DVD tout a restored scene. Can anyone tell me if they recall this scene? ... Read more

Description

Heishiro, a noble Samurai, sets out in search of the renegade who stole his clan’s treasure and killed his best friend. Heishiro should be able to hold his own against the villain Rannosuke, who has only killed hundreds of men and fought entire armies while simultaneously defending himself against dozens of deadly ninja assassins. This is Samurai Fiction. Don’t believe everything you see in Chambara movies! ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Encore! Encore!
Just about the most entertaining film I have see so far this year!! This is such good stuff!! It's reassuring to know that less can certainly be more in a movie. The black & white approach to the film was a nice "retro" touch. The soundtrack was enjoyable as well. A little jazz a little spaghetti western and a little surf music?!? Oh well, sounds strange but it certainly enhanced some scenes. The story line was typical but the dialogue certainly wasn't. Who ever wrote the script certainly wasn't going for that purist kinda thing, refreshing it was!! What really made this film work was the obvious pleasure the actors displayed in making it. That's always a big plus and also infectious!!! At least it infected me!!!

If you have to see one Samurai movie this year....
See this one. Forget about the one with Tom Cruise - this is so much better as to be not even a comparison. Hotei's acting and hot guitar licks make for a pleasing sound and sight. It's almost a mime performance - he has so few lines. I'd call him the Japanese equivalent of Clint Eastwood - cool and tough. Nakano's use of black and white and color make this film as beautiful and artsy as it is well told and acted. It proves that you don't necessarily need a huge budget and millions of bucks to make a great movie. It's also wonderful because it doesn't take itself to seriously.

I will say it again - if you have to see one - see this one.

come on see it i know you will like it
This was one of the first movie that i ever felt so good.I bought this movie becouse wanted something diferent.when i finish seen it i was speechless it was just what need it to see.The film has great story amazing cast and the director and also the dir of photography is damn good.THIS IS A MUST HAVE YOU WONT REGRETED

Great
This movie is funny, yet still maintains a serious theme. A must have for any foreign movie buff!

One Amazing Movie
The plot is as follows. A samurai clan entrusts a talented but unknown ronin to guard their ceremonial sword. He ends up stealing the lovely weapon for his own use. Upon hearing this, a young swordsman and his two best friends go on a journey to retrieve the sword. Their first confrontation causes each of the three warriors to take a path separate from the other.

The plot is fairly basic (the stealing of the sword reminds me of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), but the way director Hiroyuki Nakano sees it is very original. Shot mostly in black and white, it's an obvious way to get the audience to appreciate his artistic vision.

Perhaps my favorite aspect of "Samurai Fiction" is the musical score, composed by Tomoyasu Hotei, who you may know as "...the guy that made that song from Kill Bill" (Battle Without Honor or Humanity, the part where O-Ren is entering the house of blue leaves). Every fight scene and many simply well directed scenes are pulled from 1696 to modern day with hard rock or techno anthems.

This is a must have DVD for any martial arts fans, particularly those looking to see where Quentin Tarintino got "Kill Bill" from. ... Read more

Amazon.com

This fascinating comedy questions what we mean when we use words like "nature" and "civilization." Lila (Patricia Arquette, Lost Highway, True Romance), a nature writer who grows hair all over her body, falls in love with Nathan (Tim Robbins, The Player, The Hudsucker Proxy), a scientist attempting to teach table manners to mice. While hiking in the woods, they discover Puff (Rhys Ifans, Notting Hill), a man raised in the wild since childhood, whom Nathan seizes as a test subject for his experiments--and soon these three, along with Nathan's French lab assistant (Miranda Otto) are embroiled in criss-crossed love affairs as they (and the audience) attempt to figure out what it means to be true to one's own nature. Though Human Nature isn't as surefooted as Being John Malkovich (which was also written by distinctive screenwriter Charlie Kaufman), it has moments of startling comic genius. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Human Nature Is Funny and Strange; So Is This Movie
Remember "Being John Malkovich"? Charlie Kaufman, who wrote that strange movie, is the writer of "Human Nature," a strange but very intelligent film. This time the task of director is handed to Michel Gondry from France, famous for his music video clips made for Bjork ("Human Behavior" and others). But don't be put off by his profile because Gondry wisely avoids any flashy techiniques you might associate his MTV profile with. In fact, his fashion often seems very orthodox.

"Human Nature," Kaufman's newest produced film, deals with four persons trapped in a maze of love, or sexual desire (call it human nature) ... so to speak. As is the case with "Being John Malkovich," Kaufman's style easily defies our ready-made concept of movies, so I just tell you what you see. Tim Robbins (one of his best turn) is a scientist who spends his time trying to teach proper table manners to white mice. A nature writer Patricia Arquette, hairiest woman in the movie history, falls in love with him. Meanwhile, somewhere in the forest, a grown-up man (Rhys Ifans of "Notting Hill"), who believes that he is an ape, is found, and the Tim immediately got interested. He contemplates: "Let's educate him as a human." Well, after naming him "Puff," with a help of an electric collar and some nude photos, Dr. Robbins tries to 'cure' Puff of his nasty, die-hard habits of showing 'human nature' or sexual desire, explicitly in the public.

While the experiment proceeds, love relations got complicated as a famale assistant Gabrielle (played by wonderful Miranda Otto, seen in "Thin Red Line" and "What Lies Beneath," with too obvious French accent) is involved. The love triangle gets more confused after eventual inclusion of Puff, who slowly starts to change himself from an ape-like man with long beard -- Rhys Ifans at first looks like "It's" man of Monty Python shows -- and ... guess the rest of it for yourself. Anyway, Kaufman's creative power does not belong to the traditional sense of storytelling, and we know it.

Just like "Being John Malkovich," "Human Nature" is full of brilliant ideas, but the whole touch of the film is less outlandish than the other. Actually, you may say some scenes are direct parody of methods used in classic Hollywood films, and some scenes, especailly opening ten minutes, even remind you of films such as "American Beauty" and "A Life Less Ordinary." By saying that, I do not mean the lack of originality; rather, the director Gondry is cleverly challenging us with unique skills shown in these film, deftly using them to his purpose.

And the most amusing thing about "Human Nature" is its ever-changing relationships of love between four characters, among which Puff's sadly too human nature plays the most prominent role. The process of Puff's "education" contains funny, but very poignant moments, and what we laughed at loud in "American Pie" (my favorite) we see in a completely different light. At same time, the film mocks American values very slyly. See, for example, how Tim Robbin's scientist is easily captivated by a phoney French Gabrielle with dubious accent (and don't miss the quick change of her French 'room decoration'!!). Also of note are Robert Forster and Mary Kay Place's forster parents, whose dead-pan humor leaves us great impression in spite of their brief screen time.

This off-beat film probably ends too neatly after many elements are thrown in the film, but I didn't feel the film is confused. I admit "Human Nature" may not draw a lot of critical or commercial attention; it is a shame, though, because it is a very clever film, and even if it is not totally coherent or logical, it at least gives us fresh and powerful talent upcoming in this industry. For that only, it should be called something, something precious.

Interesting from beginning to end
Everyone should see this film. It's human/social commentary. Kaufmann has such a wonderful, deep, intelligent sense of humor. Very entertaining. Interesting from beginning to end. And I'm always amazed at how perfect the casting is for Kaufman's movies.

Human is as Human Does
This is, as usual, an amazing script by Kaufman. I wouldn't rank it as high as Eternal Sunshine...but I would rank it above Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

If you want to see a film that operates as a piece of art, this film is for you. Kaufman's quirky characters are wonderful & wonderfully played by this great cast.

If you don't want to think while watching a film, I recommend running away & watching some silly action film or teen comedy.

And be prepared for hairy naked women!

Great Film!

A Kaufmanesque Classic
A unique film in every sense of the word. If you enjoy Kaufman's other films, you should definitely check this out. It may not be as funny as Being John Malkovich or as clever as Adaptation, but it is by far, one of the strangest films I have ever seen.

Strange but fantastic
This was a completely unheard of movie from what I know, though it starred Tim Robbins, Patricia Arquette and Rhys Ifans (of "Notting Hill" and "The Replacements").

It's a strange story of "human nature" with some hilarious bits, some extremely strange situations, and bases ALL human nature on man's urge to fornicate. (which is probably somewhat true, why do we write books, invent things, have jobs, etc?).

The main characters are Lila, Nathan and Puff. All of whom have their little intricacies. Lila (played by Arquette) is a former circus freak/nature writer, who's got a hormone problem that makes her hairy all over her body. Nathan (Robbins) is a scientist with an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder with regards to manners. Puff (Ifans) is a man raised by apes, or more specifically, andother man who THOUGHT he was an ape.

The story then works to become a love triangle, or rectangle as it may be, as well as a quirky tale of Nature versus Nurture. It's a VERY Spike Jonez feeling production and has quirkiness similar to that of Being John Malkovich, but it's a little BETTER in that it's more receptive to a larger audience.

There are some genuninely funny scenes and lines, but if you'd like to hear them or know them, you'll have to check out the movie. If you liked Being John Malkovich, you should like this movie as it's got a comparable level of quirkiness to it yet remains comically sensible. I haven't shown this movie to someone I've met who hasn't liked it, though I've noticed some terrible reviews for it. If you're not sure, check it out. It looks like you'll either love it or hate it. At least it provokes some feeling either way. ... Read more

Amazon.com

That adorable Audrey Tautou from Amélie plays the central role in this deceptive story of a rather unusual romance. It would spoil the film's clever design to reveal what happens halfway through He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, so let's just say that Tautou plays a winsome girl in the sunny town of Bordeaux, whose relationship with a married doctor has more layers than first it seems. Samuel LeBihan, from Brotherhood of the Wolf, plays the doctor, but it's the casting of cutie-pie Tautou that sets up the movie's gradually sinister undertow. Director Laetitia Colombani's inventive structure plays a satisfyingly tricky game with the audience, and may have some viewers going back to the beginning to make sure they saw what they thought they saw. Just don't go in expecting Amélie part deux, and you should find this an ingenious little number. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (41)

A fun movie experience
When I rented this DVD, I simply did so because I loved Amelie and I loved Happenstance, so I figured I would love this too. When I started watching it, I believed I was watching a fluff romance, and kept waiting for the predictable, light-hearted laughs.
In the beginning, Audrey Tatou is picking out a rose for her boyfriend in a florist. It then goes on to show her days, sometimes elated and sometimes disappointed by her distant, married cardiologist boyfriend. She sends him gifts, he stands her up. They plan a weeklong trip, and he leaves her at the airport. When he and his wife finally DO split up, she is elated, but he is unfortunately pining for his wife. She decides her life is over, and turns on the gas. As soon as her heart stops beating though, the whole movie rewinds and starts from square one.
All of a sudden, everything you saw from her point of view is seen from his, and it's so different than what you'd expect. This shocking movie goes on to reveal a dark side of the characters, and a strangely sinister plot. Once your mind gets wrapped around what's really going on, you cannot wait to see what happens. This is not at all a fluffy romance, but more of a mind-bender (think Vanilla Sky) and actually quite suspenseful and emotional. A great movie, but don't watch it unless you want to think.

Great Foreign Film With A Twist
This little gem of a movie is unexpectedly wonderful. It seems like a beautiful French love story at first and twists into something quite different.....But I won't give it all away.

Audrey Tautou is perfect as the young student who falls in love with an attractive Doctor. Her innocence sucks you in and she is absolutely believable as a youthful exuberant woman in love. But beauty is what it is and sometimes it is what it isn't, be prepared to be taken on a surprising ride. Sometimes love takes on new meaning, especially for the young and easily influenced.

This film is artfully directed with beautiful colors surrounding the scenes. It is all things French.....and highly recommended!

Great head fake and wonderful surprise of a film
"He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not" is a wonderful piece of misdirection by director Laetitia Colombani. It starts all saccharine sweet with flowers, perky songs of Spring and love, and a smitten Audrey Tautou.

It's all a great head fake. As the film turns slowly, inexhorably darker and more malevolent, you're faced with the reality that your sweet little Amelie maybe isn't what she appears to be in this outing. It's a great against-the-tide career choice by Tautou and the masterstroke of the trap Ms. Colombani's sets for her audience.

Where Colombani's film elevates itself vs. others of this genre is in its unique, impressively designed story construction. Others on these pages have alluded to the technique. I'm not going to repeat it here. It came as a surprise to me during my viewing, and it was like a special treat - my mouth dropped open suddenly as Colombani delivered her unexpected wallop. Everyone deserves that pleasure. I suggest you try to avoid extensive reading about this one before you take it in. Your lack of preparation will be well-rewarded.

two sides to every romance, whether it happens or not
Audrey Tatou plays Angelique, an art student in France who sends a rose to Loic, a doctor, to celebrate their first meeting. Loic is married, but he plans to leave his wife, insists Angelique.

The extent of Loic's involvement with Angelique is greatly exaggerated, as viewers will find. The movie shows fist Angelique's side of the story, and then Loic's. For those Tatou fans used to her playing adorable elfin creatures, they will not be disappointed, but this one has a severe twist to it.

It is well-played, and it's good to see Tatou in a different type of role, it shows her range more fully and that she is very capable as an actress of tackling different types. Bravo! Magnifique!

This is a got to have movie!!
You will have to see it. i agree with most of the reviews so wont rewrite it myself. but it is an amazing movie. Its actually better if you dont know too much about it before watching so you can be surpized by what happens. The actors were great and it really made you feel for them. The story line fills in blanks as it goes so during the movie your wondering and at the end you understand, which makes a great movie in my opinion. GET IT! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

"I didn't expect her to be so cunning."
Once a week, on Wednesday nights, Pierre Brochant (Thierry Lhermitte) and his circle of snobby friends host an "idiot dinner." Each participant is supposed to invite a guest--the biggest idiot he can find. The object is a sort of idiocy one-up-man-ship as the hosts spend the evening encouraging the guests to talk about themselves and their obscure hobbies (one guest, for example, has a boomerang collection). The "idiot guests", of course, have no idea why they're invited, and they are delighted to find an interested audience. These guests then unwittingly provide the entertainment for the hosts, and the hosts' collective sense of superiority is re-enforced.

On this particular Wednesday, Brochant can't find an idiot, but he's tipped off about a certain Monsieur Pignon (Jacques Villeret), a jovial mild-mannered tax official--whose obsession is replicating national monuments by building models composed of matchsticks. Pignon's crowning achievement is a replica of the Eiffel Tower (346,422 matchsticks). So Brochant invites a delighted Pignon to the dinner. Complications arise, however, when Brochant injures his back and cannot attend the dinner. With Brochant trapped and housebound, Pignon is unleashed into Brochant's life. Pignon proceeds to demonstrate his idiot potential by his kind but bumbling blunders. Mishaps involve a zealous tax inspector, a disgruntled mistress, a distraught wife, a discarded ex-lover, and a wealthy Lothario with a secret love nest.

"The Dinner Game" is a perfect French comedy. It was originally a play, and you'll get the sense of that as the action takes place. Timing and execution are perfect. Some of the film is laugh-out-loud funny, but the amusement never loses its momentum in this perfectly paced film. The cast is excellent, and part of the humour is derived from the layers to fun to be had here. Sometimes two characters giggle at the misfortune of a third, but then, before too long, the focus of the humour shifts attention and discomfort to another character. The film doesn't miss a beat. If you enjoy French comedy, don't miss "The Dinner Game" from director Francois Veber. If you enjoy this film, I also recommend another Veber film, "The Closet"--displacedhuman.

You'll laugh so hard you just might mess your pants...
...it's that funny! And yet, as mobby_uk observed, there is a poignancy underneath it all. Some are put off by the premise, a dinner that is a competition to see who can bring the most ridiculous guest. Don't be. It's an ugly idea but a deeply humane movie. Jacques Villeret's portrayal of François Pignon is side-splittingly wonderful, hilarious and touching. And writer/director Francis Verber, who also had a hand in writing La Cage aux Folles, is an international treasure.

A very funny movie
I laughed so hard while watching this movie. A man invites a stranger to dinner, who he believes to be an idiot, so he can entertain himself and laugh at the idiot. Little by little, the idiot ruins the intelliegent/rich mans life, and one is not sure who the real idiot is. This is the kind of movie that could be real bad, but the actors have perfect timing and all the jokes work.

One other comment- for those learning French. I have been buying movies made in France to improve my speaking and listening skills. This movie is excellent for learning French, the words are the ones I studied using the first 26 lessons of "French in Action". Many of the common words begenners learn are repeated in this movie and are easy to understand.

The DVD is excellent. The colors are bright and rich and everything is crystal clear. I wish more DVD's had the same quality as this one.

It's more than I expected.
First, you will laugh. Then you will laugh more. At some point, you will feel the anger of Pierre Brochant and say to yourself, "I have enough of this idiot!" The next minute, you will be stomping and slapping, and laughing again. You just don't know what will happen, or should I say what will go wrong!?

It is silly, but entertaining. Definitely a keeper!

The Funnniest movie I've seen.
I can't say enough about this movie. I laughed so much, it's truly a side slapping movie. It's the funniest movie I've seen in years. Rush out and buy it or rent it because you will laugh till you drop. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Zen as It Really Is, and Great Entertainment As Well
I finished watching this film last night, and found it wonderful. Afraid that, since it's in German with English subtitles, and about Japan and Zen, it might not get the boost it truly deserves in English-speaking areas, I decided to write my first review of anything here ever.

I was delighted to find a bunch of great and well-written reviews already here, so I don't need to say as much as I thought I might.

I am an American with European links who has lived in Japan several times for some years. I am a professor and I teach Japanese culture, lit., film, etc. In my opinion, this film lets you know how things really are in Japan now, and how the Zen temple tradition manages very well to coexist with a pretty materialistic and Americanized culture in Japan today.
It's also an account of what it's really like to come into contact with Japanese Buddhism, and later to find oneself somewhat changed by the encounter, in unexpected but good ways.

I have also been in Germany now and then, and the German scenes in the first part of the movie seem to me to ring very true in terms of what life is actually like there--since the makers are German, that is to be expected--though sometimes both Japanese and European directors create movies that are less realistic and cater to American stereotypical impressions instead.
Buy this DVD, get your friends to watch it, and perhaps you'll be transformed in your daily life as a result of seeing it--in the sorts of small ways that last and really count, as Gustav and Uwe are in the film.
The German dialogue in the film is clear and concise, like regular educated conversation, so it's easy to follow if you know some German. The subtitles are also well written and get the humor across too.
I hope Ms. Dorrie and her colleagues will make another one like this soon. Whether it's set in Japan or not, it's sure to be good. Ms. Dorrie's comments are also a good special feature, with some interesting points about how to make a good film on a budget of just one million dollars these days.

One last thing. By accident, I watched the first part, set in Germany, about the lives Gustav and his brother led there, and then I stopped for the evening a bit after they got to Japan. I figured the film was almost over, and I'd spend maybe a half hour watching the rest the next evening.

The Japan experience turned out to be in fact the most important part of the film, and and I had a great time watching it for another hour or so, because it was so absorbing, authentic and true to real life. It was like getting two films for the price of one--both really good. I think it may be good to watch the film in two sittings this way, but that's up to you.

One of the Greatest Films Ever Made !
Enlightenment Guaranteed - The film that will inspire you to become a better person !

It's one of those things that is so great, it cannot be put into words.

Enlightenment Indeed!
ROXANNE CRIDER

"ENLIGHTENMENT GUARANTEED"

"Too much enlightenment dazzles me."

Combine a German movie with English subtitles about Zen meditation in a Japanese culture and you have all the basic ingredients necessary for a very entertaining and 'enlightening' movie. At the onset, chaos and mayhem ensues as a typical couple with four small children face yet another hectic start of their day. The husband and father, Uwe, is seemingly unconcerned and uninvolved in the children's needs as the morning ritual turns into a crying and screaming match where everyone is miserable. Switching scenes to his brother Gustav's home, there is peace and tranquility, with an underlying, hard to detect tone of the same nature. The movie flashes back to Uwe's home, as Petra, disgusted with her husband's belittling attitude and lack of assistance, packs the children and moves out of their home. Discovering their absence upon his return home from work, Uwe panics and grieves, then visits his brother who is packing for a vacation to a monastery to study Zen meditation. Begging to go along and promising not to be of any trouble, Gustav agrees to allow Uwe to come with him. The distain Uwe initially feels toward his brother's beliefs quickly turns to compete acceptance of the strict discipline enforced upon them during their stay. Not until the loss of their possessions as well as the directions of the hotel where they stay in Tokyo, Japan do they realize the inner peace that can be obtained by peace and understanding of the beliefs of the monks. The trip causes both brothers to reevaluate their lifestyles and attitudes, promising to make their lives better upon their return to Germany. It was so appropriate that, as the brothers have always had their differences, they share a common thread. It was a clever move by director Doris Dörrie to have the brother's trades reflect an uncanny tie-in with the Zen meditation beliefs before their journey even began. Uwe is employed as a kitchen countertop salesman with an aesthetic eye for form and balance and is as polished as the products he sells. This constrasted and blended perfectly with Gustav's job as a neurotic, compass-dependent feng shui consultant. I enjoyed the movie very much, and would honestly have a difficult time choosing my favorite scene. Their unforgettable rendition of "I Will Survive" stands out as one of my favorite scenes, and is a turning point in the film as a kind, young German woman recognizes the language and helps them on their way. The comments filmed with Uwe's home video camera were hilarious, revealing, tragic and entertaining all at the same time. I thoroughly recommend this film to anyone who would open their minds up to a foreign film and open their hearts as well to these two very fine actors and the amazing director who put the entire endeavor together with style, respect for differing cultures, and 'enlightenment'.

Meaning and enlightment where you least expect to find them
On the surface, this movie appears to be about two brothers who are searching (often in very different ways) for meaning in their lives. One of them decides a trip to a Japanese monastery will further his steps toward enlightenment and peace. The other brother begs to go along because his wife has suddenly abandoned him. He is bereft and at loose ends and hysterical with grief. Against his better impulses, the other brother gives in -and the adventure begins.
Once they arrive in Tokyo, the brothers struggle to cope with the difficulties of being in a foreign country and not being able to speak the language They find even the smallest parts of everyday life difficult - getting taxis, ordering food, etc. But they think that they know how to find their way back to their hotel, using two large buildings as landmarks. Unfortunately, at night, the lights of the "landmark" buildings are turned off, which leaves the men disoriented and totally lost. Even worse, they have no money.
And that's when they are forced to fall back on their own resources, hitting rock bottom, panicking...and then finding their way up again (I won't go into detail here because the pleasure of this film comes in watching the experiences of the brothers).
By the time they get to the monastery, they have come a long way from their old life. Not that life is easy at the monastery but they are ready to change, ready to start the real struggle ahead of them.
If I've made this film sound very serious or intellectual, it isn't. There is humor, grace and plenty of surprises in this charming film as well as an exploration of what makes life meaningful - and why. One of those rare films that pushes the viewer to think... and well worth the time spent watching it.

For any traveler who's ever been lost
If you have ever traveled, ever been out of your element, not spoken the language, not been familiar with the culture... this is the movie for you. On that level alone, this film is a gem.

In addition, there is a wonderfully gentle but transcendent Zen message lying underneath. These two hapless German brothers prove that when you've hit rock bottom, the one thing that is guaranteed to help is looking at things differently. Watching two middle-aged German men achieve a certain degree of Buddhist enlightenment is not only hilarious, it's also heartwarming.

When you first start watching the movie, you will think to yourself, "man, these are cruddy production values. It looks like it's on video tape." But by the end of the journey you will understand. And you will love it all the more for its untraditional production values. Because ultimately, the value of the film is not determined by the film's budget.

You only have to fall into one of the following categories to love this movie:
1) anyone who's traveled abroad
2) anyone who's looking for the answer to life's riddles
3) anyone who's interested in Buddhism
4) anyone who likes German movies
If you fit more than one category, you'll be in cinematic heaven. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Audrey Tautou (star of Amélie) shimmers like a born movie star in Happenstance. A woman on the morning train tells Tautou that the full moon will lead her to her soulmate; from there, Happenstance follows a marvelous interlocking series of events, in which little things (like whether or not a young museum guard eats a piece of chocolate) affect bigger ones (like whether or not an adulterous husband will tell his wife the truth). The numerous characters intersect with each other's lives, creating a web of coincidences that finally catches Tautou like a hapless fly. This could have been cloying and forced, but the writing and directing are so deft and subtle that the coincidences of Happenstance feel natural and compelling. A sweet and hopeful movie, with excellent performance all around, but Tautou's wide-open eyes leap out of her every scene, hypnotic and charming. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (31)

If a butterfly beats its wings in Europe ....
.... there will be a hurricane in the Pacific. This wonderful movie illustrates all that in a charming and captivating manner.

Audrey Tatou shines as Irene, one of myriad characters in this subtitled flick about what would happen if you took this road instead of that??

Irene is a salesgirl in a household appliances store, who gets her horoscope read to her on the train to work. It turns out that the guy next to her has the same birthdate -- and both are supposed to find "love around the corner" that day. But it will take the whole day and several others whose lives meet theirs in the most casual way (the EMT whose ex-girlfriend recognizes him in a photo at the film-developing place where she works, the man cheating on his wife who decides to lie to his mistress, and so on.)

The storylines are full-fleshed and it is amazing the way all the characters affect each others' lives without really knowing what they do.

This is a simply great movie, very French, very fun and guaranteed to make you read your horoscopes again!

Karma and a butterfly's wings
You know the old saying about the "butterfly effect," that the beating of a butterfly's wings can set off a storm over the Amazon jungle. That idea is half the basis of "Happenstance" (original title: "Le Battement d'ailes du papillon" -- more on butterflies), a sweet little French bit of froth that will leave you warm and fuzzy.

Irène (Audrey Tautou) is on the subway to her job when a woman doing surveys tell her the horoscope: She will meet her true love that day. The handsome young man, Younès (Faudel) who sees her, has the same birthday and same horoscope. Coincidence? There is no such thing in this film. Elsewhere, an indecisive man promises his mistress Elsa that he will tell his wife that he wants a divorce.

Fallen leaves, tossed stones, discarded sneakers, a mugger's yellow jacket, heads of lettuce, Algerian sand, uneaten chocolates and nose injuries all affect Irène and the people who brush by her in everyday life. After the end of that fateful day, nobody's life will be quite the same. Some people will come home, some will make break up, some will miss dates, and some will live happily ever after.

"Sliding Doors" was a shaky but interesting romantic comedy, and "Run Lola Run" was frenetic and full of visual gimmicks. But the slower-paced, more forthright "Happenstance" may be the most interesting look at how little things can change our lives -- it's not just one person's life, with a few people affected around him or her. Instead, it's a dozen or so, whose lives change for better or worse because of little things.

What little things? A head of lettuce falls off a truck and causes a bike crash. A pebble fails to get through a modern sculpture, causing a man to lie to his mistress. A thousand little innocent events cause major changes in people's lives. But above the idea of chaos theory is the concept of fate and karma: You know that forces are slowly driving Irène and her soulmate together. A few bad things may happen to the two future lovers along the way, but they are just stepping stones.

Cinematography is nothing special, but nice and somehow makes Paris look like more than a postcard, with the subways, grubby side streets and sparkling night skies. The intricate script is bound to trip itself up a few times. A couple of storylines are left mildly unresolved. And perhaps the most intriguing character -- the enigmatic "Destiny Man", who seems to be all-knowing -- appears once and then never again. How does he know other people's plans and secrets? We're never told. (Maybe the guy is supposed to be God)

Tautou displays a different kind of acting from the charming "Amelie." Here, she's more downbeat and outspoken, but gradually softens as she comes to realize that things don't happen purely by accident. Faudel is a good counterpart to Tautou, quiet and unassuming, but quite sweet. The dozens of supporting actors are given less to do, but are charming too.

Do you believe in fate and true love, that somehow you'll be drawn together with your soulmate, the one meant specially for you? If you do (even a little bit), then "Happenstance" will charm you.

Deep Movie
More of Audrey Tautou, however you won't see her much in this weird film. However this film's look at the theory of chaos is done in such a simple, beautiful way that it's amazing.

a not very memorable ensemble film
A film by Laurent Firode

There is an idea that life is made up of a serious of coincidences and that any small action can have a wide ranging effect and connection to the lives of various people in ways that we cannot even imagine. Little events can affect big events even though the two are not truly related, at least not in any way that we can directly see. It is like the butterfly in Egypt flapping its wings and causing a hurricane over the Pacific Ocean. This is the overriding idea of "Happenstance".

The movie opens with Irene (Audrey Tautou) on the subway. A lady sitting across from her is reading Irene's horoscope and tells Irene that soon she will meet her soul mate. Irene gets off the train and the scene changes. From here we are brought into the lives of multiple people (men and women) living in Paris. We see their actions and how their actions affect each other. Even though Irene opens and closes this film, it is not truly about her and she is a more minor character than I had expected (or hoped).

It is interesting to see how all these lives intersect and affect each other, but even with the ending wrapping things up, "Happenstance" did not feel like it truly amounted to much, or did a good enough job making me care about any of the characters (except Irene, but that may be because of Tautou). It was difficult for me to engage with any of the characters, or find any of them memorable (though some of the intersecting events I can remember, but not the characters themselves).

The best I can say is that "Happenstance" was just okay. Despite Tautou being all over the cover/poster for this film, she is not the star, this is a true ensemble piece. The ensemble just didn't add up to a strong whole.

-Joe Sherry

One small, solitary event...
The film _Happenstance_ investigates how one small, seemingly meaningless event, can change the lives of many others. The script weaves a large web, with few degrees of seperation between the characters. There are no "main" characters in the film, because each story is so interlocked with the others. The French title of the film translates to "The Beating of the Butterfly's Wings", and it is unclear why they changed the title for the American release. The word "Happenstance" does not come up in any conversation in the movie, however a major scene in the movie discusses the butterfly's wings.

Audrey Tautou's face is on the DVD cover, (not even a picture from this movie, I might add) and it is clear that the American marketing firms wanted to show off Tautou and use her recent fame to attract attention. While I think it is misleading to plaster her picture on the front when there are many other deserving actors in this movie, the marketing did work for me: I would not have found this movie had I not seen Audrey's face advertising it.

A fun and rewarding film that is sure to leave a smile on your face. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Nobody Does It To You Like Roman Polanski!
Roman Polanski's THE TENANT, released in 1976 (two years after his blockbuster CHINATOWN), is my all-time favorite movie. It isn't Polanski's best film (MACBETH gets that honor in my opinion), but this story (taken from Roland Topor's equally strange but less inspired novel) really "does it to me". Polanski himself (who also co-wrote the screenplay with long-time friend and collaborator Gerard Brach) plays Trelkowski, a timid, lonely Polish immigrant trying to make ends meet as a file clerk in Paris. Polanski's performace is genuinely amazing. There are not many actors, let alone directors, who would feel so comfortable playing such a difficult and potentially career-shattering role. In the film, Trelkowski finds an apartment in a dingy old building run by the oddly sinister Monsieur Zy (Melvyn Douglas) and a rude Concierge (Shelley Winters). The previous tenant, Simone Choule, attempted suicide by jumping out of the window. Monsieur Zy tells Trelkowski that if she dies, he may have the apartment. Trelkowski hot-foots it to the hospital to see how long it'll be before he can move in. Simone lies, semi-comatose, swathed in bandages like a mummy from head to toe. When she screams upon seeing Trelkowski's face, the head nurse demands that he and Stella (Isabelle Adjani), Simone's best friend, leave immediately. Trelkowski tries to initiate a half-hearted love affair with the frumpy Stella that evening, but they are unable to connect for some reason and go their seperate ways. The next day, Trelkowski learns of Simone's death. When he moves in, he begins to notice strange things: neighbors complain of noise, usually without cause; people seem to spy on him from the communal bathroom across the way; he finds a human tooth stashed in a hole in the wall behind his wardrobe; there are knocks on the door when no one is there; he is constantly bothered by neighbors who are either obnoxious (such as Jo Van Fleet) or pitiable (like Lila Kedrova). Eventually, surrounded by artifacts from the dead girl's life, and torn apart piece by piece by his increasingly demanding neighbors, Trelkowski slips into insanity, dressing in Simone's clothes, pulling out his own tooth to match the one lodged in the wall, and even purchasing a wig and high heels, intoning things like "I think I'm pregnant" to himself in the mirror. He begins to hallucinate, and his persecution complex turns into a severe case of schizophrenia. I won't tell you the ending, but I will say that if you enjoyed REPULSION and ROSEMARY'S BABY, then you will find this to be a fitting third piece of the puzzle. Like Carole and Rosemary in those films, poor Trelkowski is a victim of urban living, a pathetic lost soul not unlike Travis Bickle of Scorcese's TAXI DRIVER (released the same year), except that Trelkowski is a danger mostly to himself. Like I said, this isn't a great film, but it's worth your time if you enjoy horror films Polanski-style. And as a vision of one man's private hell, it's indispensable. I love this movie, flaws and all. Obviously not for all tastes.

ANOTHER GREAT CINEMATIC WORK - wanna know why?
In CHINATOWN, Polanski gave us a great story of corruption. In ROSEMARY'S BABY, he studied the occult. In REPULSION, he gave us a portrait of a troubled mind. Here, in THE TENANT, Roman Polanski gives us a stunning new portrayal of absolute paranoia.

Polanski stars himself as the main character: a man who rents the apartment of a dead woman - who apparently jumped from her window.

Strangely enough, Polanski's character starts to identify with the dead woman little by little as he starts to live in the same environment... the same apartment, the same neighbours, the same window, the same talk... and - guess what! - maybe she did not commit suicide after all...

But this is just the beginning. To reveal more, it would be unthinkable.

Why is this a great film? A first rate screenplay (beautifully constructed), amazing actors (Shelley Winters and Melvyn Douglas are great!), and...

...The sets! The bulding (a parisian quartier) is absolutely fantastic. Like REAR WINDOW, it was entirely built in a sound stage - incredible!!! - allowing Mr.Polanski enough freedom to put the camera wherever he wanted.

But the great thing about this film is that (like in a state of paranoia) you never know what is truth or what is imagined. The main character starts to see, hear and discover things that may actually be true! - only at the end (with a finalle that makes perfect sense) you'll discover the truth behind it all.

After those beautiful sets, comes the cinematography by one of the top Directors of Photography: Sven Nykvist (PERSONA, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS, ANOTHER WOMAN, CRIES AND WHISPERS, AUTUMN SONATA, and many other works)... this film has one of the best studio cinematographies I have ever seen. The music is also beautiful and you will love it from the moment it begins. Also a great achevement is sound design.

This is one of those great films where mood and atmosphere set an exemple for what to do in a film - a work where everything is right.

Unfortunately, the DVD only comes with the trailer (which is also beautiful). No photos, no commentary (I was hoping this DVD would come with a commentary by Mr.Polanski), not even a small interview with anybody. Too bad if you consider the quality of the craftsmanship of this work.

But at this incredible low price... one cannot complaint.

One of Polanski's best -- but be prepared
When this film came out in 1976, critical reaction was strongly negative. Only one writer I can recall -- Penelope Gilliatt in the New Yorker magazine -- had the insight to see beyond the general weirdness, focusing on the title character's increasing paranoia and alienation.

The unnerving plot gets underway when Trelkovsky, played disarmingly by Polanski, moves into a creepy Parisian apartment building, into a flat in which the previous tenant committed suicide. Trelkovsky gradually grows suspicious that some of his disgruntled, crabby neighbors would like to see him do the same thing. The outstanding cast includes Melvyn Douglas, Jo Van Fleet, Shelley Winters and Isabelle Adjani, all seemingly having a great time with an utterly mesmerizing story.

The film has high production values, including gorgeous, moody photography by the great Sven Nykvist (who often photographed for Ingmar Bergman), and an appropriately eerie score by Philippe Sarde. The DVD transfer is beautifully clear.

Not everyone will warm up to the bizarre, shocking ending -- and I can't possibly give away any of the details -- but suffice to say that it shows Polanski in a way that few have seen him. For all the attention that "Chinatown" gave this director in 1974, this film, coming two years later, is just about as striking in a completely different vein.

I'd go crazy too if shelly winters was my landlord
polanski films should be watched chronologically. the tenant stars polanski and documents his ascent into madness. after taking the flat of a girl who committed suicide, polanski, due to his own isolation and psychosis, begins to question his own sanity and blames it on everone else. the beauty here is that the film never allows the audience know what is real and what is concocted until its climax that, at first, resembles a comedy of errors, but develops into an incredily eerie disposition.

i will have the galouises please, i don't care for marlboro either

Movin' On Up.........
Original. Witty. Ironic. Creepy. Thoughtful. Detailed. VERY KAFKAESQUE.......For anyone who has ever felt like they had to be quiet when coming or going from their apartment...... ... Read more