5.0 out of 5 stars
social comedy, November 11, 2009
This review is from: Let's Talk About the Rain ( Parlez-moi de la pluie ) ( Let It Rain ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)
Actress, writer and director Agnes Jaoui (Gout des Autres, Un Air de Famille) works with real-life partner Jean-Pierre Bacri (Un Air de Famille, The Housekeeper) as co-writer/actress/actor. Jaoui directs herself in the film in the role of Agathe, a politician who reluctantly agrees to be interviewed by Michel (Bacri) for a documentary. Jamel Debbouze (Angel-A) plays Karim, a part-time film-maker.
Agathe`s life is complicated, Karim tries to hold things together, while Michel`s attitude is so laid back as to actively interfere with the filming of the documentary. A restaurant scene in which Michel attempts to explain feminism to his son is hilarious.
An undeclared subplot within the film is that it forms a vehicle for Jaoui to answer questions about her relationship with Bacri, with Bacri and Debbouze doing the asking - an interesting notion. But the film has several other threads too, including more serious ones about European politics and the discontinuous nature of relationships.
The interplay between the characters is excellent, each having their own very different agenda within their roles and gradually a wider family group is incorporated within the plot.
The story uses the film-within-a-film motif to good effect, with the additional twist of Karim cutting together yet another film from the out-takes. The general inability of the characters to communicate with each other provides much of the comedy. A catalogue of incompetence results in a highly entertaining series of mishaps.
The disc includes an `explanatory' interview with Agnes Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri together. However, the interview is largely incoherent and incomprehensible. When explaining why they chose the title, Bacri and Jaoui initiate a conversation about depression and how in some way that has something to do with rain... Bacri does his best to look bored, distracted and indifferent but that adds to the charm and doubtless reflects the degree of his affection for being interviewed for the special features section.
A cleverly composed social comedy to be enjoyed by those who delight in subtle French cinema and for fans of Jaoui, Bacri and Debbouze (if you are not a fan yet, you should be).
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