Two
Perspectives, One Reality...
This
French thriller is either a story of a secret
love affair or a torrid case of obsession and
stalking... it really depends on which of the
two characters you believe. You see, the film
unspools in two parts with vastly different
points of view. Angelique (Tautou) is a gorgeous
young French girl who is smitten with a handsome
and suave doctor. Unfortunately, he is married
and they have to conduct their affair
clandestinely with every spare moment they get.
Loic (Le Bihan) is a successful and happily
married doctor who is unaware of Angelique's
true feelings and finds himself being constantly
bothered by her overbearing intentions.
We watch both sides of the story, one of which
gathers more credibility as the film drifts
toward it's clever conclusion. This wonderful
French import is part 'Amelie', part 'Fatal
Attraction', part 'Rashomon'.
HLMHLMN is a stunningly picturesque movie.
Beautiful faces, colorful roses, a perfect
cityscape and lighting that accentuates them
all, makes this one of the most beautiful films
of the decade. This film takes great pleasure in
highlighting beauty... especially that of the
resplendent Audrey Tautou.
While aesthetically perfect, the film does have
trouble with the narrative. I felt like I had
all the answers a little too soon. I think the
mystery is somewhat predictable and makes the
second half of the film slightly tedious as we
trudge toward the inevitable. But it is such a
smart film and is so much fun to watch that I
had an easy time forgiving some flaws.
I will definitely add this to my DVD collection,
as I believe that it will hold up in multiple
viewings.
©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
