5.0 out of 5 stars
Mesmerising French Cinema, January 29, 2012
This review is from: Deep Breath ( Le Souffle ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)
This is one of the first films from French director Damien Odul and boy is it a way to make an entrance. It is about David (Pierre- Louis Bonnetblanc - who is excellent) he is fifteen years old and has been sent to his Uncles farm for the summer. His mother has separated from his father and needs some space, even though her influence is felt throughout the film, she never makes an appearance.
He is bored and finds the dull repetitive lifestyle of rural life an anathema. He wants to listen to French (c)rap music and indulge in `rhythm' magazines. There is going to be a bar-b-q, and this necessitates the slaughter of a sheep, which is done up close and personal. This film has been criticised for its animal cruelty and to my city sensibilities I was initially repulsed by the graphic scenes of butchery. There is more than one scene of cruelty to animals and it can be upsetting, but can be a fact of life for some. This animal theme extends to the bizarre dream/nightmare sequences which often feature Wolves and more than a touch of nudity, butterflies and mud!
The meal proceeds and David is allowed to drink with the men and he does so with gusto. They are a strange collection of men all separated from him by at least a generation. There is also Steph who claims to have seen the Virgin Mary. David gets up to all manners of mischief before going off with a friend he has made with one of the local lads.
It is shot in black and white but without the classic lighting of a noir and so has more of a sixties feel which juxtaposes with the modern setting. Whilst the deliberate dream sequences act to break up the narrative they do in many ways reinforce what the film is saying and it must be said are quite iconic in their presentation. This is a film that will stay with you and will garner more understanding on subsequent viewings.
It could be labelled as `art house' and I actually thought it could be described as Damien `Hurstesque' at one point, especially with the repetition of shots of dead animals - even photos of such on the walls of the farm.
It is not a long film and when it ended I felt as though I needed to know more, though annoying at the time on reflection this is actually a strength and is the sort of film that comes around rarely. This is one for true fans of cinema in all its' guises and should have received much more attention than it got.
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2.0 out of 5 stars
I didn't like it, March 20, 2010
This review is from: Deep Breath ( Le Souffle ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)
To me this movie was a pure waste of time. I suggest that if you want to see this movie, rent it. Don't waste money on it like i did.
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