love in black and white
I just watched The Girl on the Bridge. Can I tell you how much I loved it? I know it's really adolescent and probably tells the reader far too much about the state of mind of Ms Baroque, but this is a movie that makes me want to get up in the morning and watch it again.
The last time I did that it was The Godfather.
The time before that it was Romeo + Juliet.
And I'll tell you what, all of a sudden I really love Daniel Auteuil. I've never done that before - I've admired him, fancied him, even found him vaguely repugnant. I've never loved him before. It's the luck, you see. Or maybe it's because the film is about love. And Vanessa Paradis - phew! I love the spaces between her teeth.
It's also a film about magic - luck - chance - and fate - "an erotic fairy-tale," as someone-or-other called it. In one scene someone asks Auteuil's character, the knife-thrower Gabor, "who are you?" "I'm a fairy," he answers.
It's all shot in this amazing black-&-white that looks very rich and saturated. It looks like colour, even just on a DVD. It happens that I told someone today that feeling as if you're living your life in a black-&-white film is no bad thing; that black and white is a timeless classic and will never date. In fact, black-&-white is the repository of possibility. Right after I made that comment I saw the most beautiful photograph of a gelatin silver print (admittedly only on the internet, not in some wonderful gallery) by the Chinese photographer Wang Ningde. Now, look at that! You could just weep. And then I saw this movie. The whole black-&-white thing, it's true.
Or maybe it's the director, Patrice Leconte, I'm in love with. (But I knew that. He made Ridicule.) (And The Hairdresser's Husband.) (And L'Homme du Train. I could have written rapturously about any of those.)
This movie has a big thirties thing going on, it's an hommage. It reminds me in a few different ways of another favourite film of mine with a very different take on the thirties: Paper Moon (starring Ryan & Tatum O'Neal), another unconventional love story between an older man and a younger, vulnerable girl. At times Vanessa Paradis actually looks startlingly like Tatum O'Neal. I wonder am I the only person who thinks that? (The rest of the time she just looks like Johnny Depp.)
And the music! Big, fat and heart-swelling, with Benny Goodman thrown in. Yum.
Well, I must go to bed. I have a movie to watch in the morning.
11 comments:
I remember seeing that film when it first came out in one of the cinemas in Notting Hill with V., my then gf. I primarily remember
* the weird piece to camera/police interview at the beginning by Vanessa Paradis's character that suggests that the story is to be told in flashback (although I seem to remember that it isn't)
* the knife throwing
* the Fiat Barchetta.
Mostly though the Fiat Barchetta. I wish I had a Fiat Barchetta and a gf like V now so that I could go to see arthouse films in Notting Hill.
Aw, Paul... yes, the beginning is great, ten minutes of her face, talking to the camera. And just gripping! And yes, it does seem to be a flashback, so that when it gets to the knives you're thinking, "it's okay, she lives" - and it's not till the end you realise she was jumping AFTER that interview! Very well done.
The knives are just incredible.
Have you seen The Hairdresser's Husband? And there's a new one out that I've just, I think, missed in the cinemas - Mon Meilleur Ami. Dying to see it.
I know what you mean about having someone to go to the cinema with. My LoveFilm account is keeping me going at the moment but it isn't the same, I agree. In a perfect world one would have both.
ms baroque - I haven't seen this, but just wanted to say, I have responded to your note which I very much appreciated.
And, oh, I like your blog indeed and must put you on my list. I had a blogging nervous breakdown and swiped everything and am only very slowly remembering who and wehre everyone is!
p.s. I think you would like Ian Patterson's new blog, called curiously strong.
Nice picture - is it Wednesday already? Or are you just making use of a time machine?
Thanks for reminding me about 'The Hairdresser's Husband' - I feel the urge to start dancing to Arabic music!
Hi Lara, nice to see you - I'll check out Ian P's blog, thanks.
P-Ump, good point - I'll have to think of something else now! Damn. She is rather something, isn't she.
Steerforth, is your laptop fixed? By all means, do dqance, and please sned me a clip so I can post it up! If you're good enough I'll make you an EDW post.
Enjoy your blog, have linked to it.
Puthwuth
Ooh golly, yes, The Girl On The Bridge, haven't seen it in a couple of years but reading this reminded me how much I liked it - must hunt down a copy.
Have been enjoying your blog for a while now by the way. Beautifully brain-tickling stuff.
I adore Daniel Auteil: he has a face that could only be French, one that moulds itself into comedy and tragedy in equal measure. I am trying to remember that film in which he worked in the place where he had to pretend he was gay...it was brilliant.
Hi Puthwuth, ditto, and either I have or I will; I can't remember if I did yet or not... I will be reading yours. So amusing! But what kind of name is that, and who are you??
Hi Natasha, thanks! and great name: Interval Drinks... so evocative. You must see this film again. You'll love it. Love your blog, too, btw. Thanks for commenting!
Ms R, you have added much to this discussion right there. No idea what the film was, but I will sleuth it out. you're so right: in fact, it's a face like a baguette. but the thing is, I never LOVED him before. In this performance I kept seeing Depardieu...
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