Camille regresa

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.

"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.

Ten years after this release I'm reviewing this movie... go figure.

At close to two hours this is quite a long film since the character progression and ultimate outcome are wispy thin developments that go nowhere. It sort of made me feel cheated for watching something I had for the most part, enjoyed and had high expectations for.

Generally 'Going back in Time' films address some aspect of life that needs to be addressed or changed. If offers the opportunity for resolution of some sort which the screenplay then provides. This isn't really the case here, and although I'm not opposed to the different approach taken to the execution normally chosen, there was a lack of progression here that sort of expresses.... an exercise in futility. That said I did enjoy the film for the most part.

It was very well acted and directed. The period authenticity, the relationship of friendship and deep bonding between the girls in their youth, especially given the actress who plays the Camile -Noémie Lvovsky is considerably older than the actresses who play her peers, is very well done and powerfully portrayed.

Some aspects of the film didn't work for me. I can understand why she feels so strongly for the boyfriend of her youth, since for her, there are twenty four years of marriage and love to relate to, but his feelings for her are implausible. He's just met her and they've barely had any interaction yet he speaks of maddening love and desire. The love he speaks of, so deep like magnetic bonds that compare to planetary gravitation is inexplicable. This really needed to be demonstrated rather than told. It's a similar experience with the Physics teacher she becomes attached to at the drop of a hat for apparently no reason; what! When! Why? There is a lot of 'fluff' in the film that should have been abandoned in favour of emphasising these aspects of the movie.

Ultimately the time travel aspect of the film isn't really explored as anything more than an elaborate flashback, and this causes the movie to fall somewhat with any sort of real development or conclusion. If your going to go through the trouble of 'a time journey back to the past', for god sake do something with it.

That said, I still enjoyed the movie and think 7/10 may be a little high for what it delivers, but the aspects of the film that 'were' good, were very good.

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.