The Favourite Game

Lacking substance. The film spends a long time showing close ups of the main protagonist lighting cigarettes. It feels like the characters do not really engage with each other but spend a lot of time going through romantic tropes like writing poems in cafes with a glass of wine. When characters talk to each other it does not feel sincere but a fantasy of an ideal relationship without limits or any daily responsibilities. Perhaps it is an accurate depiction of the book, in which case, I am judging a faithful film unfairly.

I've always admired Leonard Cohen's songs and lyrics. I did not know he also wrote novels and books of poetry until I saw this movie. His novel "The Favourite Game" is supposedly autobiographical. If so, my opinion of him has been lowered. The main character in this movie is a pretentious jerk, selfish and self-absorbed. He cares nothing about the feelings of others, and just does what he pleases. He feels justified in doing so, convincing himself that he is not hurting others as he lets people, women especially, in and out of his life. He's responsible for a tragedy, and never seems to fully accept that fact.

The actor playing the main character does a good job of making you dislike him. I'll give him credit for that. But who wants to see a movie filled with pompous musings by an unlikable character? Not me.

This film merits more than the 5.8/10 people voted. I wonder why it's popularity dropped 18% this week, but I am not a member of ImdbPro so I cannot know why. The director, Bernard Hébert, never did a movie since this one in 2003, it is a pity because he is very good. THe film he did before this one, The Night of the Flood, an animation movie, seems pretty good, judging by the votes and the 2 comments, and I would like to see it. "The Favourite Game", the novel by Leonard Cohen (who's my favourite singer), and the movie are both really good, but I would like to see a film adapted from his other novel, "Beautiful Losers", it would be much more psychedelic than "The Favourite Game". This movie, the screenplay, the actors, et cetera, everything is excellent, the story constantly make us travel between present and past, reality and thoughts... The words in it make us think about the lovers and love stories we have or had in our own lives, how we deal with things, etc...