Slow Road to Nowhere...

Ahh, the French... How perplexing they can be! It seems that every film they produce has layers that go far deeper than most of the schlock we are treated to each year at multiplexes.

But the French are very capable of laying an egg every now and then too. They have done so with "Red Lights", a film that I have been eager to see for months now.

This is your quintessential "what the hell was that all about" film! As the closing credits rolled, I found myself scratching my head in utter confusion... not because the story left me bewildered, but because I have absolutely no idea why this film was made.

The film consists of an opening group of scenes between a husband and wife preparing to drive a few hours to go pick up their kids from Summer camp.

She showers and packs her clothes. He sneaks off for a few drinks. They argue a little bit. And off they go onto the highways of rural France.

The arguments get more aggressive and the husband decides to stop off for a whiskey to calm himself down. But when he returns to the car, his wife has vanished, leaving a note that says she will be taking the train from here on out.

The rest of the film follows the husband on a frantic search for his wife, a search that leads him to meet up with a shady hitchhiker with a secret.

The premise sounds intriguing... but the payoff is as dull as a piece of lint watching paint dry.

The film plays like a random man in a crowd screaming "Hey everybody! Hey everybody!" and then muttering "Never mind."

I was so frustrated with this film's lack of direction and inertia. There is an unbroken scene with the husband making phone call after phone call for what must have been 20 minutes... I wanted to shoot myself during that scene.

I am a huge fan of French cinema, but this film fizzles into nothingness and left me with a sour taste in my mouth. The only emotion this film produces in the viewer is frustration, and that is not enough to make a film worth while.

© Written by TC Candler

How We Rated This Film TC Candler - D+ Richard Propes -     Jacob Hall -

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