Directed By: Remy Belvaux & Andre Bonzel & Benoit Poelvoorde
Written By: Remy Belvaux & Andre Bonzel & Benoit Poelvoorde & Vincent Tavier
Cinematography By: Andre Bonzel
Editor: Remy Belvaux & Eric Dardill
CAST: Benoit Poelvoorde
This film is a masterpiece or at least so close to being one then in one simple scene one simple act it passes the point of no return that at least in my mind ruined the movie for me. Was it intentional?
Probably
The Film is a very dark French comedy about a documentary crew following a Hitman/Serial Killer who is a happy guy and really enjoys his work that we see he loves to talk and fill the crew and viewers in on his philosophy and methods. We even see how he interacts with his family and sometimes reluctantly the crew helps him or becomes victims accidently of his job volunteer innocent bystanders as you could say.
Soon The Line becomes blurred between innocent bystander, Witness and accomplice. Then there is that flip of the switch scene which I won’t spoil or discuss here which disgusts, unnerves and disturbs me so much that the rest of the film could have been a test pattern and still it would have been ruined for me.
I think there was a decision for that scene to affect the audience and it is successful in polarizing the audience so that you can’t not react or have an opinion you are watching the film and enjoying it as entertainment then the scene happens and changes your outlook and are reminded of the reality of the situations that you have just been watching.
Part of me thinks the director did this on purpose to make a social message just like “Funny Games” but another part of me thinks france is such a liberal country and the director wanted to take it to the edge and over to shock
That is also why the lead is not movie star handsome no one in this film it helps heighten the reality by not having stars that can distract and take you out of the story just like a horror film. It adds to the realism and you believe you are witnessing a character a person not a actor playing a character
Either way this is a good film that happens to be foreign and is worth seeing
Unfortunately the directors never really directed another film and Remy Belvaux he died a few years ago so we never got to witness further work by the director but on the DVD there is a trailer for a spy film that apparently was written but never made sadly.
GRADE: B+
Hey just wanted to stop by and say (type) that your post on Man Bites Dog is apt and well-written. I'm glad one of your crew imparted your opinion on it and I'd agree that the film was very self-aware of the visceral (and pretty realistic) depiction of its violence (as a side note, I'm not sure if we're thinking of the same "scene" though...). I've been meaning to write my own review of the film, but at this point it'd be rather redundant.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that Belvaux was unable to grace us with another film, but at least we have this one (which reminds me somewhat of Charles Laughton's contribution if only in numerical value). Great review once again.
The rape scene, which I assume you talk about as the change point, was something that continues to haunt me. On the one hand, it feels so visceral, almost scarring and personal that you share the terror. On the other hand, you feel complicit a voyageur and unwitting accomplice. The shame one feels after that scene shocks you into reality and engages one into a soul searching exercise. I thought it was brilliant but also haunting. Its a movie in my DVD collection that was watched once. I'm not sure I can watch it again. Its also a movie that it seems like I can never forget. I have to give the director kudos for this while at the same time wish I could forget it all. I'm glad you chose to bring up this film in your blog.
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