L'ombre des femmes

There's something so inherently simple about this film, something that may even come across as detrimental if one was to explain the entire plot summary to someone who was interested. They might think that it sounds really contrived and kind of like a ridiculous soap opera, but the key in making a film is always in its execution. In that respect, this film succeeds admirably. The screenplay is simple, but very nuanced and realistic, and the performances and the quiet, delicate direction only help add to that realism. Before you know it, you realize you've become really enthralled in these characters' lives. Very well done in all respects, and definitely recommended for fans of realism cinema.

In the Shadow of Women reacquaints us with the quaint realism of the nouvelle vague, that province of Godard, Truffaut, and other great French directors who strip down their mise en scene to just the essentials of two characters falling in and out of love, mostly through bright dialogue in ordinary settings without fancy camera work.

Only a French director like Philippe Garrel can take a formulaic French infidelity involving a husband and wife and their lovers and make it fresh while supporting verities that will live forever: If both husband and wife are unfaithful, then even the French know something is amiss and bound to be righted with some accompanying pain.

If the husband fails to recognize his sin while he rails against his wife's infidelity, then so be it in the comic stupidity of French men and men in general. Revealing his self-centered chauvinism, Pierre (Stanislas Merhar) tells his wife, Manon (Clotilde Courau), "I thought you were different." Manon and Pierre are struggling documentary makers who are also married with him being restless and her still much in love. But the young intern, Elisabeth (Lena Paugam), turns his head while the handsome colleague turns Manon's, and while they both admit their infidelities it's not certain the turn has come about because of lust or reaction to their spouse's indifference.

If this story sounds trite, it is, but it remains one of the best romances in recent memory just because it is authentic and displayed by superior acting and directing. It is, after all, a European film, and as such it will be slower and chattier than most American romances. It has the old New Wave energy that offers youthful glamour and foolishness. It's magical old-fashioned romance showing exactly why men are in women's shadow.

Effusing from the bottom of a toilet reeks another braindead simplistic dichotomy of woman=good/man=bad gender feminist nonsense, which at this point is fast getting stale.

The male and female characters are simply poured into a pre-made mold and are scraped out without any trimming along the edges (though this movie and its lame characters have no edge whatsoever). The male protagonist is, of course, depicted as an insensitive and egotistical boar, while the female characters are, of course, (almost) flawless and infallible little angels, keeping with the now 30-some year long tradition in movies of presenting this mindnumbingly dumb, and destructive, false dichotomy. Apparently though, this dichotomy flies over the empty heads of the director, writers, and probably most of the (gracefully) few viewers of this movie. If the people who watched this actually knew better, they'd be insulted by this assault on their intelligence and dignity, especially male viewers but any female viewer too who dislikes mindlessly simplistic reductions of who she is as a woman, or maybe just maybe might have an ounce of respect for the men and boys in her life and what the culture is telling them (to hate themselves and regard women as better).

Ironic that a movie thinking it's fighting sexism and doing a good thing to, yet again, prioritize women over men and show the poor little ladies as both the victims and victors of the of big bad men, utterly and miserably fails to see its own sexism in presenting this peabrained sexist duelism of man=bad/woman=good. It also fails utterly and miserably in its own total lack of creative bravery, intelligence, and invention.

Truly great movies of the present and in the future will end this misandric outlook, and movies will not have to be either anti-woman or anti-man.

I wasn't particularly impressed with Philippe Garrel's previous film, 'La jalousie'; there was nothing specifically bad about it, but it wasn't special at all, and it was so flat in its drama that it had no vitality. It's safe to say that I approached this with only middling expectations, not least as the premise is broadly unremarkable and conventional, but one can always hope. As 'L'ombre des femmes' begins it certainly seems to march in step with its predecessor, as we're introduced to a husband who doesn't entirely appreciate his wife, a wife who lives in her husband's shadow to her mother's chagrin, and the young paramour who introduces a fresh spark of new love into the husband's life. All this is fine, but again, one can hope for more to come - and gladly, it does. As it turns out, I'm very happy to say that this 2015 picture really is a notable improvement on its forebear, and distinctly deserving on its own merits. It still may not altogether be a lightning bolt of brilliance, but this is a fantastic, rich romantic drama that strikes just the right chords to be meaningful and impactful, and actively engaging, in a way that not all others (including Garrel's previous effort) can. Moreover, it only gets better as it goes along, all the way through to the end. I think this is great!

I appreciate Renato Berta's cinematography, at once soft and crisp in its black and white presentation and lending a sense of intimacy. I like the cast, especially Lena Paugam as lovesick mistress Elisabeth and Clotilde Courau as devoted but put-upon Manon; it's more difficult to admire Stanislas Merhar as distant and underhandedly cruel Pierre, but he unquestionably sells the part very well. More so than I think was true than in 'La jalousie' I'm inclined to think Garrel illustrates strong direction, showing a keen eye in orchestrating shots and scenes and making them both artful and important. More than that, between Garrel's direction and Francois Gédigier's shrewd sequencing, there's definite air of increasing tension as the story unfolds. Of course this stems as well from a capable screenplay; interestingly, the only difference in the writing team is the substitution of Marc Cholodenko with prolific screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière, but whether it's Carrière's involvement and/or a more robust concept we have to thank, I quite believe 'L'ombre des femmes' is just swell. Tension between husband and wife, imperfect relations between husband and mistress, secrets kept, a new secret discovered, secrets revealed - there's a more discrete narrative here, and it's a hardy, compelling one. The dialogue, scene writing, and characters are all more complicated, more fleshed out, and more believable. Even Louis Garrel's narration is used in a way that's more profitable than has been true in other films; true, it may sit at a divide of being insightful and plainly imparting what other features would leave for the viewer to discern, yet as a matter of being a creative choice here, overall I think it was a good one. The end result of all this is a movie that's unexpectedly absorbing, and which demonstrates unmistakable intelligence and finesse in its craftsmanship.

Jean-Louis Aubert's score is employed relatively sparingly, yet where it does crop up it's flavorful as it catches our ears, and lends to the somber tone and the underlying tension. There's a measure of electricity bristling about the proceedings as themes swirl of love, jealousy, domestic troubles, hypocrisy, trust and the corrosion thereof, emotional availability, and more. And it should be said, too, that all those contributions from behind the scenes are terrific, of course including costume design, hair, and makeup. Incidentally, I think it's the production design and art direction that are most commendable here, not because the sets (adjoining excellent filming locations) are outwardly stunning but because of their shrewd subtlety. This goes for Pierre and Manon's flat above all, for what we see and hear of it reflects an indifference, carelessness, and possible transience that echoes the developing plot. With that said, it strikes me that 'L'ombre des femmes' comes across in no small part as a movie that could surely be adapted into a stage play, or that could have been adapted from one. The limited number of characters, with terse interactions, in a scant few major settings, and not least the very personal nature of the tale all recall drama that could just as readily play out live in a theater. And in my mind, this only confirms the strength that Garrel's picture has to offer.

I wouldn't go so far as to say it utterly demands viewership, yet the progression of the narrative, the character arcs, the bigger ideas on hand, and the overarching skill and quality seen herein together forge a work of cinema that's genuinely much more earnest, substantive, and worthwhile than I thought it would be. It doesn't sound like much from the outside looking in, 'La jalousie' sets lukewarm anticipation, and the first scenes to greet us are not immediately encouraging. I'm as surprised as anyone, however, that as the runtime advances Garrel, Carrière, Caroline Deruas-Garrel, and Arlette Langmann give us storytelling that in my opinion proves to be rather inspired, and this is borne out by the cast and crew. I'm downright pleased at just how good 'L'ombre des femmes' is, and to be honest I rather think it earns a blanket recommendation. As a matter of personal preference it won't appeal to everyone, but as far as I'm concerned these are seventy-five minutes very well spent, and a fantastic credit to everyone who had a hand in its creation. Kudos!

There's one reason to see this film - an amazing performance of Clotilde Courau. The rest of the film is paled in comparison. The story itself has nothing special to offer. Philippe Garrel's direction is very professional but offers very little character. His special requirement of single take for every scene seems to have inspired the extraordinary performance of Clotilde Courau, so he does deserve credit for it, but nothing else stands out here. And I did find his use of narration, point less and annoying. All other aspects of the film are professional too but falling out flat.

On the other hand, it's worth seeing if only for the superlative performance of Clotilde Courau, which I already mentioned.

One last point, has to do with the name of the movie. In French it's called L'ombre des Femmes, which translates simply as The Shadow of Women. It's a very small difference from In the Shadow of Women, but it's an unnacessary difference that shouldn't have been there.