Camille - verliebt nochmal!

Caught this film at the Sitges Film Festival, and wasn't sure what to expect. It sounded like a more serious version of 'Peggy Sue got Married' from the description, and I didn't really have any expectations for it, but I was kind of blown away a little.

Although mostly a comedy, with light-hearted/comic situations as Camille returns to her teenage years, this film treated the conundrums/ paradoxes of time travel in quite a serious way at times and was actually quite thought provoking. And a tragic scenario involving Camille and her mother is set up incredibly well, so when it arrives it is just absolutely heartbreaking. Seriously, take tissues.

The director/actress really gives a fantastic performance - convincing as both the bitter, washed up Camille in the future and a mix between this and the wide-eyed teenager she becomes in the past. She does a great job of juggling the comedy and dramatic moments, as both actress and director. I'm surprised never to have heard of her before, but I'm sure after this film she will receive more exposure. She also had a colourful,interesting visual style going on, not least in the extremely cool backwards slow-motion opening credits.

Noemie Lovsvsky has been around in French films and directed them for the last 18 years but she is discreet and has made her way slowly but surely. She is signing with Camille Rewinds a sweet bitter comedy that anyone can relate to. She tells a story of a 40 year old woman who needs to make amends, who needs to change her past somehow. New Year's Eve come and there she is brought back in her past. Her past is in the 80's and the director has paid extreme attention to details. You will recognize the beddings, the home accessories, kitchen details that come from the 80's and you will be transported yourself to that era. Camille needs to tell something to her mother and she does. The story is intertwined with comedy and tragic moments, you laugh and then you cry, it is a roller-coaster of emotions ! The director shows that love, death, passion roll together; she is sensitive to sight, scent, touch, taste (for the champagne) and hearing !! When you loved someone you loved their sight, scent, touch, voice, you feel all of that in the film. This film is a love letter to old acquaintances that should not be forgotten.

"Camille redouble" is quite characteristic of the current french cinema evolution : there have always been comedies, though the new ones are more energetic, colorful, while still keeping some seriousness .

Indeed, this movie is about Camille, a 40-something years old woman struggling in her present life, who has the chance to visit her teenage past. She's trying not to re do the same errors,saying to her parents how much she loves them, trying to bar her future boyfriend to approach her... though it appears that all these attempts are not functioning well. And it reminds us that there is no way trying to change the past, we just have to live with it...

This movie is very interesting, in its approach of some major elements of everyone's life : death, friendship, love. Usually, for a deep analysis of the latter themes you would see a grim movie(at least in France), but with this one, you will come out of the theater thinking and yet with a smile on your face.

The first hour of the movie is pretty enjoyable, and even though the time travel theme has been over used, this melancholic story, to which anyone can relate to, is still touching.

Unfortunately, the second hour is much less glorious. The script badly flounders and doesn't manage to find a much needed second wind. The situations are under exploited, the characters don't evolve, there are no stakes or consequences, and the plot's final outcome suggests that everything is fate-related: what is then the point of the movie if nothing could have been altered ?

The disappointment is proportional to the high expectations caused by the raving critics.

I was expecting a dull remake of the back in time. It was completely different than the united-statians versions. This film was excessively intelligent, unpredictable, romantic, touching and so well done. Like having the best meal since years. Wow!