Die Geschichte meiner Frau

This film got is premiere at last Cannes with not very warm reviews from the critics and public alike, many of the critics calling euro-pudding. I suspect many of these critics didn´t read the original novel of Milan Fust that these film is based on and that Ildikó Enyedi was tryng to do for many years.

I thought the film was very well adapted containing many of the philisophical and symbolism of the novel, beautifully shot, excellent perfomances by all (Gijs Naber and Léa Seydoux (her part is probably more difficult to play since she´s mostly an enigma until the very end of the film) are perfectly cast and very well directed.

One advise I who give who wants to see this film, is to read the novel first.

Very fine actors we have here, to a story that you have to ... well get into. The premise is "easy" or at least seems that way. Especially considering how fast everything seems to move at first. But when you skip steps - well in the end the step you skipped may come back to haunt you.

Or in this case the main characters. Love can not be conjured up - it can be built over years sometimes, And it may be something that is going to happen here too. But it wouldn't be a good movie, if everything went smoothly and without any obstacles ... still the movie is almost 3 hours long and the pace slows down quite significantly.

So I do understand if some people have issues because of the length (no pun intended) ... yes (minute) size does matter. Keeping things fresh too - it does try that out and we have quite a few situations. Some that we may have to figure out ourselves. Can you dig it?

After some of the bad reviews my expectations were low and I was surprised how did this movie struck me hard.

Maybe because the captain expresses so deeply what I felt in relationships. Not that I ever would propose to the first woman that would enter a door but the experience sometimes you get more than you bargained for and how you can't control how destructive love can be. To watch how the captain was struggling to articulate what he was feeling was intriguing.

The sadness and frustration of him never even getting close in the mind of his wife. Was she playing with hm and paying him back as a punishment for his bold proposal or did she deeply love him as much as he loved her? Did she get more than she bargained for as well by thinking she could play him? Will men ever understand women?

It's not a Hollywood movie with clever lines of communication and it's drawn out yes. But for me the atmosphere with the continuous tension kept me on my seat for the full 3 hours. Bach's largo from his 5th clavier concerto on the background exemplified the sadness and the longing. The cinematography was so beautiful.

The acting was stellar and a joy to watch. Other reviewers seem to have criticized the acting but they meant to criticize the characters with their clear flaws. Did they mix this up.

Just as the captain, I struggle to describe this movie and I can't explain why I was so drawn to it. I'm grateful Enyedi's courage bringing this out in the way she did. At least some people find this a master piece!

Why do characters need to smoke so much? I get sick of it. These are the details that take away the pleasure of seeing something.

I liked it a lot, despite being so long. I thought the main actor was excellent, I didn't know him.

This movie is not for everyone, but for those who can see poetry in images. Only Lea herself is already enough to see it, such a mysterious woman, on which most of people can't understand. The actor who plays the captain is good enough to lead the movie all by himself in 3 hours.

The photography, cities and the period completes the perfect environment.