Like clockwork, the (theoretical) winter thaw brings France to New
York for the annual Rendez-Vous with French Cinema. Now in its 20th
year, the series, co-presented by Unifrance Films, marks a collaboration
between The Film Society of Lincoln Center, BAM, IFC—and, almost
always, Catherine Deneuve. (Though the ever-reigning queen of French
cinema won't be gracing audiences with her physical presence this year,
she can be found onscreen in both Benoit Jacquot's opener, "3 Hearts"
and André Téchiné's "In the Name of My Daughter").
Extending
beyond the milieu of bougie dinner parties, Rendez-vous' latest
installment showcases a cross section of the country that's as diverse
as it's landscapes—from the Parisian skyline to the idyllic Southern
countryside to gritty urban housing projects—and cinephiles will be
pleased to find that a host of young French talent has prime billing
alongside iconic heavyweights.
"Breathe"
Among the highlights this year is "Breathe," the second directorial
effort from actress Melanie Laurent ("Inglourious Basterds"). Ostensibly
a coming-of-age tale, the film traces the volatile friendship between a
pair of 17-year-old "jeune filles": the reserved Charlie (Joséphine
Japy) and the precocious new girl at school, Sarah (Lou de Laâge).
Laurent has structured the film as a classic seduction. Think "Blue is
the Warmest Color" but without any actual sex. As Sarah wins Charlie
over with flirtatious affection and infectious charisma, languorous
sequences of the inseparable teens frolicking through fields and
whispering in bed make it seem as if they're the world's only
inhabitants. But beneath the schoolgirl currency of giggles and secrets,
Laurent subtly lays the ground work for the dark psychological thriller
"Breathe" gradually becomes—the film's title references the panic
attacks that leave Charlie winded as Sarah tightens her parasitic grip.
There's
a telling scene early on in the film where Charlie's English teacher
tries to engage his lackluster students in a healthy philosophical
debate about the pros and cons of passion. Borrowing from Nietzsche, the
class concludes that the emotion only becomes dangerous when it escapes
rational control. Though the lesson is a little too on the nose, it
aptly foreshadows the unstoppable force of Charlie's base instincts that
ultimately engulf her and, more importantly, underscores a recurring
theme in this year's program: passion running amok.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário