ikalafatis

Le Dernier Metro is the portrait of a woman. An ageing, beautiful, authoritative, successful and famous actress caught in her own personal quagmire, and that of a strange historical era.

It's 1942 and Paris screams under the German occupation. A quiet scream, at least as portrayed by Truffaut, where Parisiens go on living their everyday lives as close to normal as they can. The German element is of course ubiquitous, always lurking in the shadow of normality like an undiagnosed disease. The black market, the Jewish persecution, the curfew, the collaboration and the resistance, all are accepted as just another fact of life.

The real threat though is the unknown. What will the war bring? How longer will it last? And yet, decency and normality go on being the bourgeois lifestyle of choice, simply because most don't know how to really survive without the city, without its theaters and fashion circles. Without this superficial normality.

In the middle of this strangeness stands a woman disillusioned by her life. Deep inside, this poignantly beautiful, famous, smart and strong woman is empty. Torn between her professional and artistic duties that have increased dramatically since her Jew husband and theater chef fled to save his life, and her ageing femininity and her devoid of passion life, she revolves around the sole remaining centrepiece of her life, acting. Only acting proves to be just another lifeless remain of her previous life.

Should she stay faithful to a husband that she stopped loving a long time ago? Do they both cling on to their failing relationship just for the sake of normality, to survive this strangeness of an era? Will tomorrow ever come, and if it comes will she be too old to enjoy it? Deneuve is perfection. The script has most probably been written with her in mind and it shows. Nowhere in the film is she caught relaxing, even in the most ambiguous moments her eyes are crisp clear on her intentions.

Depardieu is solid but lacks the internal flame his character should possess, probably due to him being influenced by Deneuve's coldness.

Poiret and Bennent are sublime in secondary but very important roles. Richard underplays his character's potential as a threat. The rest of the cast are adequate and in control of their roles.

Truffaut delivers a quiet film with claustrophobic cinematography, low-budget sets, fabulous costumes and minimal music. Just like a real theatre show. The director's brilliance drives through the sharpness of the second World War with a fine comb and picks only what's relevant to the story, and nothing more. A film to admire, but not to be inspired from. And there lies probably the only fault of the film. The nouvelle vague has matured and settled down with a sigh.

Watch this film just to experience the ferociously magnetic beauty and strength of Catherine Deneuve. Or if you really love theatre. Or both.

• NO SPOILERS CONTAINED -

"Ghost Dog" is a psychotic character. He lives life according to Bushido, the ancient Japanese code of conduct of the Samurai. "Start your day by accepting that you are dead already", says the book and this is pretty much what Ghost Dog does. Since when his life was saved by a mobster, he took his oath to live every day like an ancient warrior.

The old mobsters live in a similar dream world of their own. Their code is the code of the gun and the family, presumably not successful any more since they cannot even afford their rent, close its eyes to the reality of their fat, middle-aged self.

When those two dream worlds get drawn close by a contract gone sour, the only option for both factions is to collide according to their individual rules, leaving ample room for reality to eventually resume control of this load of pigeon-sh*t.

Jim Jarmusch creates a superbly paced film where violence is as comical as Forest Whitaker's samurai looks. Stereotypical carricatures and situations pop up in various places into the plot to enforce the absurdity of the situation at hand and to further devalue the possibility that we're watching a true hood film.

Forest Whitaker delivers a top-notch performance, as good as any I've seen. His hypnotising stare will be still stuck into my memory for a long time to come. All other characters are supporting ones really, but deliver good, solid performances as well.

The cinematography serves the purpose adequately, using double-exposures and long tracking shots to immerse. The music is hypnotic and fits perfectly with the mood. And the whole construct holds surprisingly well, considering the far-fetched plot elements.

Approach this film with a bitter sweet mood. Laugh at the eccentricities of the plot (the samurai meditation scene is a roar) and cry your heart out for the lost souls that Ghost Dog and the Mob are. You will not be disappointed.

• NO SPOILERS -

A delightful film about fate, about our choices in life, about the power of our emotions.

The story of the lives of two lovers that are brought together by fate, or not? It is not clear, perhaps it's two options of the same coin, being able to dictate or accept one's faith. Passivity and activity are both required to create life, and neither has a bigger contribution to the future that awaits us.

Through a series of relentless flash backs we are driven around in a palindrome fashion between past and present, only to verify that the future is unknown. Cyclical, true, but unknown in regards to its break from the circle.

A film shot with directorial integrity and coercing exquisite performances from the cast, impeccably clean as fresh snow. A beautiful soundtrack combined with haunting cinematography.

Relax, and enjoy the romantic story that isn't.