Flanders [Bruno Dumont, 2006]

In the post-screening Q&A, the Director said that the story unashamedly
focussed on the male perspective. This may provide some explanation for
the lead female character (Barbe – who Dumont described as a male
fantasy figure) being so irritatingly unrealistic (despite the
actress' admirable efforts to make the most of her role). It also
suggests that in Bruno Dumont's view men fantasise about sex which
is utterly joyless, without passion, and takes place as briefly as
possible.

This caricature of human relationships is a serious flaw in a film which
otherwise has great power. The war scenes certainly have a gruesome
impact, especially in contrast to the quiet rural scenes at the
beginning and end of the film. Dumont pointed out that his aim is to
expose the true horror of the news stories we casually view while eating
our dinner, and he does so with an unflinching directness. There is not
only a desire to shock, though; there is a wish to delve into the male
psychology that sustains men in such hellish circumstances.

The portrayal of the lead character (Demester) is one of the strongest
elements in the film. The camera patiently watches his every
expression, observing the doubts and fears which momentarily surface
from beneath his passive expression, the jealousies that torment him,
and the ever present need for love.

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450680/
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0450680/>

----------

Lady Chatterley [Pascale Ferran, 2006]


This is a story which can so easily become shallow and puerile when
adapted for the big screen, but thankfully Pascale Ferran manages to
produce something that is restrained and subtle. The sexual encounters
- scenes which are always the most likely to descend into farce –
are approached with real sensitivity, and beautifully capture the
developing self-awareness of the unlikely couple at the heart of the
film. The sense of exhilaration and liberation unleashed by the
couple's erotic discoveries stand in stark contrast to the dry and
constricting world of Lady Chatterley's home surroundings. The
humble cottage in the woods becomes a kind of Eden, a retreat from the
outside world and a place where two people can develop the kind of open,
honest, and to some extent emotionally equal, relationship that is not
readily found in the outside world.

The film is not without problems. It's far too long for a start.
It could easily have been trimmed by a third, if not a half. Also, the
drama of the narrative sometimes feels awkward and contrived. In fact,
the attempt to make an explicit link to the book through voice-over
narrative and textual commentary, is not entirely successful.

On the whole, though, if you stand the almost 3 hours running time,
it's a film that's worth watching.

IMDB Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0459880/
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0459880/>



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