Customer Reviews

Les Amants criminels

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Criminal Lovers" shows a series of crimes committed in contemporary France with only minimal regard for the consequences. Alice (Natacha Regnier) is able to manipulate her weak-minded boyfriend Luc (Jeremie Renier) to avenge her honor against the claimed outrages of fellow student Said (Salim Kechiouche). Bloody revenge attained, they go on a small crime spree, later disposing of the body. Getting lost in the woods, they find the cabin of an unnamed trapper (Miki Manojlovic), who finds out more than Alice and Luc would like and who does not mind committing his own crimes on the others. Of course, Luc continues to think he loves Alice, but did she really prefer him to Selim, and what does Luc come to think of the trapper? The acting is pretty good. A number of strongly erotic segments help depict the motivations and move the film along.

The film itself is fine, but the only extras are trailers for four other movies. There is no "making of", no commentary, no language choices, no info on the actors, and not even a hardcopy insert listing the eleven chapters.

I must defend this adorable, intelligent film from any pettiness that might keep people from it. A film school Prof. I know showed this to his students, and it was the hit of the year. The brilliant prologue set-up says more about sex and love than an entire Hollywood season. As the plot unfolds, the boy murders another boy at the girl's request; they are captured by a troll while hiding the body. The young man learns from his captor in the "Greek" style that there is more to love than pleasing a girlfriend; by the "end", Romeo/Hansel might be a "better man" -- or, he might just have fallen in love with his captor (another case of Patty Hearst capture rapture). The actors are gorgeous, ugly, and intimate. The psychology is Shakespearean in depth and ambiguity. Among the GREAT films, and a gorgeous DVD.

I enjoyed this film. It's a character driven film but the story holds up. The viewer has to determine how much is truth and how much is manipulation.

The directing, the cinematography, and the editing were all strong and all of the actors are believable and interesting. Jeremie Renier was totally believable as the young man caught between wanting to be what he thought he should be/what he's bullied into being by his manipulative girlfriend and what he discovers within himself. I like that the script doesn't use dialogue to blatantly speak all of the motivations and backstory of the characters. Only one small bit about the climax of the film was a bit confusing. I wasn't sure of the need to off a certain character. Otherwise, the film wraps up coherently and open ended enough to leave the viewer wondering what will become of the remaining characters. It's a very intriguing twist on the archtypical loss of innocence, unrequited love, Hansel and Gretel growing up, and coming out stories.

Salim Kechouiche is wonderful, as always. He's completly commited to the role he's playing and his acting is always very truthful, natural, and interesting. Whether or not his character was truly a bully or the object of unrequited lust is a matter of interpretation. I agree with the Wisconsin viewer above- Salim is stunning and there are never enough scenes with him. He is a talented enough and charismatic enough actor to carry a lead and it's high time he be given the opportunity. He shines in every film. He's simply wonderful in Three Dancing Slaves and Grande Ecole. Quite often, with some of the films he has appeared in, I've thought he should have had one of the leading roles instead of a supporting role. I wish I could see some of his other French films that haven't been released here along with filmed copies of his theatrical work. Salim - you have a strong American following; we'd love to see more of you.

This movie was my favorite film of last year. My one regret when I saw it was that it closed the next day and I couldn't go back and see it again.

The movie may have some disturbing elements for some viewers, so if you are easily disturbed or offended you should maybe pass. But anyone who truely loves film, especially independent film, I think will appreciate it. I had never seen a François Ozon movie before, but now I plan to see every single one. Natacha Régnier and Jérémie Rénier give two of the best performances that I have seen recently and should be commended. The movie has a great dark look and feel to it.

I think one of the main reasons I loved this movie was because it was kind of daring. While sitting there watching it, I though of a direction that I would have liked it to take but said to myself that it wouldn't go like that. To my complete surprise it did and I found that rewarding.

Although I haven't seen the dvd yet, I plan on purchasing it and would highly reccomend it based on viewing the movie at a film festival last October. The movie was at times both highly sensual and very disturbing. This was one of my favorite movies from last year's ImageOut (gay/lesbian film festival in Rochester, NY).

After murdering the abusive bully Said, high school lovers Luc and Alice run away, get lost in the woods, and encounter "L'homme de foret," who can only be described as a fairytale ogre. He starves the girl and feeds (fattens up?) the boy, incidentally sleeps with him.

This is advertised as a gay-themed movie, but it is aggressively, unabashadly heterosexist. Luc's ... experience with the Man of the Forest is as skittish and underplayed as a episode of "Will and Grace," and it only serves to boost his confidence sufficiently for him to have loud, graphic heterosexual with his girlfriend later.

It is, however, postmodern, with disparate and contradictory pieces of the story not quite falling into place. Why did Alice really want Said murdered? Why was Luc willing to do it?

Jeremie Renier (Luc) has played gay several times, but his only film available in the U.S. is the heterosexist ... "Brotherhood of the Wolf." The gorgeous Salim Kechioche (Salim), who doesn't have nearly enough locker-room and shower scenes, played straight in ... "Full Speed."

If you like the new Gay postmodern cinema, Francois Ozon's _Criminal Lovers_ isn't half bad. Three scenes in the film display Ozon's formidable talents as a director, but between those good moments there's only so much dead air. The pretty but uncharismatic young leads don't much help the situation, either.

The story, which borrows heavily (and obviously) from "Hansel and Gretel," could work well as a short film, but is much too slight for feature length. Ozon tries to overcome this problem by creating an extensive backstory for the protagonists. Problem is, that backstory is pretty boring (plus we've seen it before, in Larry Clark's _Bully_ and a host of other troubled-teen movies). Meanwhile, the psychodrama at the center of the film is underdeveloped -- and even worse, it's not half as kinky or transgressive as it pretends to be.

This said, the final fifteen minutes of _Criminal Lovers_ are excellent. If you're interested, I'd advise you to rent this one.

i just saw this DVD and it's great. natasha regnier is amazing. and if you liked CRIMINAL LOVERS you'll love francois ozon's other recent film WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS even better. it's based on a Fassbinder play and has a brilliant performance from Bernard Giraudeau as an aging lothario orchestrating couplings with a new young male lover, the lover's girlfriend, and a transvestite from his past. the dance scene alone is reason to see it and the DVD looks great with some neat extras...

I am a filmmaker and this film rocks.

This is the absolute worst movie I have ever seen. There is not one iota of originality in it. It is tedious and utterly uninspired. I literally threw my copy out after viewing it once.