Peter von Kant

This is a weak achievement from François Ozon - otherwise a brilliant director. Although the movie is watchable without effort and there is great acting, you may feel that something is missing. The intense dramma that fills the 1972 Fassbinder movie has been turned into grotesque comedy. Both films are strongly theatrical, but the tone in Ozon's movie works less satisfactorily. Stefan Crepon's character Karl, however, is superb.

Where is the main flaw of this film in my opinion? The author was betrayed by the belief that an easy transcript of the Fassbinder mise en scène (changing sexes and adding some comedy) woulf be enough to yield a significant remake.

For instance, what is the reason to maintain the action in the seventies as in the inspiring movie? The only explanation that I am able to find is a wrong feeling that much of the dramatic tension would disappear in a world full of mobile phones. The fact that Petra Von Kant becomes a prisonner and an anxious slave of her land line phone after being abandoned by Karin is naturally inserted in the action of the 1972 version. Extra work would be required to recreate the plot in terms of mobile phones: I believe the result might be innovative and interesting. Instead of harming the script, it could appear as a welcome refreshment. Just think of how many episodes of jealousy, lies and betrayal could be manufactured with resource to contact lists, text messages and what more you can think of.

In my opinion, François Ozon has never made a bad film, and this one is no exception. This is his twist on the film Petra von Kant's bitter tears by his role model Rainer Werner Fassbinder. Several reviews I've read point out how brilliantly Ozon interprets the original film. As I have not seen Fassbinder's film, I must judge Ozon's film for what it is.

This is not a film for the masses. Most of the film takes place inside an apartment, with three people. Especially the main character Peter Von Kant, played masterfully by Denis Ménochet, makes an impression. He is the great director who appears both eccentric, very self-absorbed, but also vulnerable. The film is about Von Kant and his great love/infatuation Amir (Khalia Gharbia). The two are wonderful together, showing the complexity and challenges of relationships. Fassbinder's regular actress Hanna Schygulla also appears in the film in a cool supporting role. Last but not least, I must not forget Stefan Crepon who plays Peter Von Kant's oppressed butler/servant/helper. What an amazing achievement to have such a presence, without almost a single line! As you may have gathered by now, I enjoyed the film very much. I'm already looking forward to what François Ozon comes up with next.

This film works if the original source material is put to one side. Taking ' Peter von Kant ' and putting it into a modern context is in my opinion the best option, and also relates better to what is seen on the screen. I was fascinated by the tackiness of the decor, the mediocrity of the characters and above all a hint at the end of the film that this was all about the death of so-called quality cinema. Perhaps Ozon would disagree, but the scenario is excellent as long as it is put into the category of camp trash. Forget too that it is set in Cologne 1972. The content as I saw it was far more relevant to the trivialities of today's soap operas and mini-series. The final scene in the film made the film work for me, the trashy image of a third-rate actor turned into a ' star, ' and the tears in Peter's eyes are more for the death of the cinema, than the empty passion of a bisexual youth's love. Peter in this film is a director and Ozon must surely have been aware of the worst of them who trade in banalities, and work for the worst of reasons and for the highest amount of money. Denis Menochet is very good as Peter, and Isabelle Adjani as Sidonie as his friend and an actor for him is superficial to the hilt, and she is excellent playing her as such. There are no real feelings in this woman whatsoever. She is all facade, and so is Khalil Ben Garbia as the luxury grabbing rising ' star ' who Peter falls in love with. Hanna Schygulla as Peter's mother shows us the past, and of all the cast she is the most real. Evoking a tenderness and a love for others that surpasses the other's understanding. Then there is Stefan Crepon, extraordinary as the silent servant to Peter's whims and needs, and also his insults. He watches everything and represses his feelings until the penultimate scene. Without a word spoken he acts with his presence alone and his perceptive eyes. For me he was the best actor in the film. As for Ozon's direction it could be seen as being less than his best but seen as a reflection of the worst of today's cinema it is spot on. A film that will endure as a requiem for what we have lost in cinema as an art form, and a reminder in future years of the superficiality of our era.

The film shows a successful director who works from home with the help of his mute, endlessly submissive assistant. The still fresh pain of his breakup with his love partner makes him feel lonely and unhappy. His explanation for the breakup is envy from his boyfriend. His daily life is associated with work on scripts, alcohol and drugs. A ray of hope is his introduction to Amir, who is a young and handsome actor, separated from his girlfriend ( which is in Australia )and waiting for his star moment. Peter offers him to leave the hotel where he is staying and move into him. This is the beginning of their brief romance, the finale of which will make Peter's life even more bitter.

We cannot feel there connection in depth. Even when Amir leaves him, there is no sense of the great separation that would lead to Peter's immense suffering. Peter tries to stop him from leaving, but it doesn't look good, it's not finished clearly. There is a moment when Peter's mother asks him about something strange with grave of father, and Peter doesn't answer anything. The audience cannot explain this moment. He sits, like a hole.

Otherwise, the film is mostly shot in close-ups, which makes it chambered, and this trick works because approaching us to the full melodrama. It was shot almost entirely in interiors.

Though I've never seen Fassbinder's original Bitter Tears, I don't really think I have to in order to enjoy François Ozon's version. I loved just everything about it: the whole thing being very theatrical, the setting, the colours, the music, the texts and the silences (there's one character who doesn't speak at all but he's always there and he's fantastic!), but most of all I loved the grotesque-ness. I believe this is one of the best, classical means to express the vices of society and our human nature in general. Most of the characters in the movie, of course, are pathetic, hysterical, manipulative and violent but it is through this exaggeration that we understand that sometimes this picture is just a mirror for us to look at.

This film returned me to the basics of what a classical comedy should be. Great cast, impressive acting, gorgeous costumes and amazing photography.