Les passagers de la nuit

"Les Passagers de la Nuit", being Mikhaël Hers' fourth feature, premiered in the prestigious competition of the Berlin International Film Festival.

The main point of the movie lies in Éric Rohmer's "Les Nuits de la Pleine Lune" referenced in the theater, that the free-spirited characters should not be criticized, but only to be observed, or possibly emphathised. Not only Hers praises the cinema through their character's words, he also tributes French cinema with the other references of Jacques Rivette's Le Pont du Nord (1981) and Claire Denis's Jacques Rivette le Veilleur (1990). The characters are unexpectedly mesmerized when they accidentally find themselves in a theater showing Les Nuits de la Pleine Lune instead of what they had planned to see.

The movie does not have any political concern having shown François Mitterrand's election as the French President in 1981 or by the innocent political actions of Judith (the daughter of the house), rather it displays the optimist vibe of the French left-wing society at the time. But wait, what makes the director choice shifting its films between 8mm, 16mm and 35mm, using of the filters and including some footage back then? A simple yearning or his individual memories and experiences? Editing these grainy images together with the digital ones drifts the audience between an alienation effect or the overpraise of nostalgia.

The biggest hit that keeps the movie worth seeing is the acting skills of the main characters. While the characters emotionally experience the existential pains of their own little worlds, they carefully avoid big words and it's us the audiance left with the choice to feel sympathy for them in this unpretentious melodrama. We very often see Elizabeth stuck in the framed big windows, in the radio building or in her home in the suburb of Paris. Also Talulah, who choose to live only in the present, has already attracted the audience with her free spirit.

Yet we are left with only the anti-heroes who are the passengers of the nights in Paris in the end. Les Passagers de la Nuit is a production that cannot reach the level of the films it's refering to and cannot claim any further than being a modest or weak melodrama.

At least three very good acting performances in a story that says too little. We've got Charlotte Gainsbourg in a very mature and nuanced performance as Elisabeth Davis a single mom with two teenage kids trying to survive a painful separation and finding an unexpected support from a radio night broadcast. Where she also finds a lost soul called Talulah, played superbly by Noee Abita. She offers Talulah a place in her apartment. What we get afterward is the story of the Davis family and their interaction with Talulah over a few years this could very easily be a Hollywood movie with all the expected preachiness and morals we often get there - it doesn't go there and for that fact I'm grateful. But it doesn't go anywhere else. We simply get to see Elisabeth, her two kids (mainly Quito Rayon Richter as her son Mathias - showing a lot of promise) and Talulah who pops in and out of their lives until she disappears.

It looks like the director Mikhael Hers and his script writers had a story but didn't have a point to make. This would be a nice pilot for a TV drama series but as a stand alone movie - it doesn't stand alone and it's a shame because, as I said already we do get at least three very good acting performances that deserved better.

I enjoyed Les Passagers de la Nuit. Charlotte Gainsbourg played an older woman than she usually does in this one, so that was interesting. I had to keep telling myself she's older! She's the mother! However she is quite good in the new role. Absolutely believable.

I'm not sure what the theme of the movie was, other than "Keep on chugging away at life. Through all its pitfalls, you will come out okay if you just keep going." So while darkness is present, there will be light if you keep moving. The movie is up-lifting. I do not like films or novels that wallow in darkness.

Those who who are habituated to watching French films will not be disappointed. The movie has the French film fundamental requisites: Nudity and smoking are present, especially smoking. I think the writer tries to make a point about smoking, but I'm not sure what it is. Its presence is all that is necessary or expected. Sort of like how you can't be disappointed by Charlotte Gainsbourg. Her presence is enough. I feel the same about Mathieu Amalric (Note: he's not in this movie). If he's in it the movie, it's good.

The plot here, in which Charlotte takes in a stray young girl, who happens to be addicted to heroin, who becomes involved with her son, is pretty minimal. In American movies, you'd maybe have a super-hero landing in front of the stray before she can take a dose. Here the super-hero is Charlotte, who is dealing with the somewhat mysterious loss of her husband. I could be wrong, but I don't think we find out why they broke up. What we do see is Charlotte's courage in dealing with the job market and the burden and joy of raising her son and daughter plus the stray. Just watch the movie. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I saw the movie on TV 5 with English subtitles. If your French isn't great, this is best. If your French isn't too bad, watch with French subtitles. If your hearing and French are very good, watch on without a net.

One last thing: I became interested in the Gainsbourgs ever since Michael Moore used "Je t'aime. . . . Moi Non Plus" brilliantly in his movie Sicko. However, if you're American and have never heard of Serge Gainsbourg, I think you'll still like the film. The Gainsbourg saga is quite interesting, though. As I'm from New Orleans, I got to hear "Je t'aime" in 1969, when it first came out. In many places it was banned. So when Michael Moore used the song, it struck a chord (ha, ha) with me. A blast from the past. But none of that's necessary to enjoy this film.

Original Title: Les Passagers de la nuit English Title: The Passengers of the Night

I was drawn to this film by a trailer I saw while watching some other French movie, so I went to the theater to see it.

The other day, I watched it again, making sure to time it so that it would end around 4 a.m. Unfortunately, since a considerable amount of time had passed since the summer solstice, it was still dark in my area of Japan. But when I opened the window, fresh air flowed into the room, blending with the mysterious sensation evoked by Anton Sanko's soundtrack that had been playing in my mind, making the ion-rich room merge with the world of the film.

It's a film that feels distinctly French.

However, this film also features strong impressions from the well-established Emmanuel Béart and the young Noée Abita (who plays Talulah) with their clear and striking presence. Moreover, the story didn't seem to end abruptly, leaving one wondering, "Huh? Is it over here?" (I've never thought that, as I've always accepted the director's chosen "ending" as the true end.) Because of this, I believe this film is more accessible even to those who might generally find this characteristic of French films off-putting.

Even without trying what I did, after watching this film, you will likely feel as if you are walking on a pristine, untouched snowy path in winter, or experiencing the small sense of accomplishment on an early summer morning.

One disappointing aspect is the Japanese title. I've said this countless times already, but unless it's particularly challenging, why not just use a direct translation of the original title? "The Passengers of the Night"... that sounds quite nice, doesn't it? I understand the desire to include "Paris" for box office reasons. However, isn't that approach outdated by now? If this trend continues, one could only think that they're underestimating the audience. With so many people trying to save money these days, the price of movie tickets in Japan is really high. It's often the case that people can only afford to watch a movie on discount days. So viewers come to theaters after thoroughly examining not just the posters and titles but also the content, and they come with high expectations.

By the way, you can find all the tracks from the wonderfully soothing Anton Sanko soundtrack on YouTube.

Japanese title is "The Night Breaks in Paris at 4 a.m."

This beautiful french piece by a great director is definitely one of the better films of the year.

It showcases a beautiful, in some ways humorous, yet equally tragic and heartfelt, script. The actors all do an incredible job, and the beautiful writing that accompines them only helps strengthen it.

The cinematography, cutting and editing is splendid, and done in a very characteristic style.

Overall, a masterful film in true french fashion that is sure to appease any lovers of cinema. Very beautifully put together in every sense of the word, in terms of both writing, artistical and technical terms.