Monday, August 27, 2007

À la folie... pas du tout - Review

À la folie... pas du tout ( He loves me...he loves me not) is another movie which has Audrey Tautou as Angélique in the lead role. For people who dont like spoilers, continue reading at your own risk.

This Rashômon styled French movie takes the screenplay in two different perspectives. The narration of the first half is from the protagonist Tautou's perspective where she is deeply in love with a doctor who has a pregnant wife at home. Tautou, a college student and a neighbour of that doctor gets more possesive and she gets into the extreme of killing a lady when she sues the doctor on sexual abuse and harassment. When Tautou tries to commit suicide, this story takes a twist and starts the narration in a different perspective from the first scene of the movie. But this time, its from the doctor's perspective you come to know of the real truth of how you got cheated and forced to believe from Tautou's perspective.

The screenplay is at its best where you dont get the repetition feeling when watching the scenes again. Audrey Tautou makes yet another stunning performance where she just makes you feel for her, cry for her even when she causes the miscarriage for that pregnant wife. Samuel Le Bihan as the doctor just does the role to its perfection. This short French romantic thriller will stay in your mind for sometime for the innocence and intelligence of Angélique.

The climax of the movie and the shot where she leaves the hospital is what I believe it to be inspired in Vallavan when Reema Sen does the same in the climax(atleast that single shot). 'Simbu sir, where did you rent this DVD from?'

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Dirty Pretty Things - Review

Dirty Pretty Things is all about the survival of a Nigerian doctor and a Turkish girl in London life. Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Senay (Audrey Tautou) work in a hotel where the doctor finds something in lavatory which leads him to discover more about the illegal activities in the hotel and the secret life in London.

This Oscar nominated movie(Best Original Screenplay) shows how the life of illegal immigrants and asylum seekers would be in London. It takes us into the darker side of the city's life where the immigrants degrade themselves so much to survive for their living. Ejiofor as a kind doctor or as hotel worker gives a remarkable performance whereas Tautou with her innocent New York dreams or as chambermaid pulls out convincingly on her first(!!?) English movie . This movie casts with mix of cultures such as a Nigerian doctor, Turkish girl, Spanish hotel manager, Chinese friend of the doctor and a hooker from West Indies. Though the movie has got some flaws(didn't want to tell more on that as it take away the suspense), it gets unnoticed when the movie maintains its unpredictability till the end. Altogether this movie is unpredictable, romantic and a thrilling documentary.