Cold Water

Assayas is a great director, and while this isn't my favorite of his films (right now its between "Clouds of Sils Maria" or "Summer Hours"), it still deserves a five star rating. The characters in this film are deeper and more interesting than 90% of the coming of age stories out there, and the lessons they learn aren't at all tawdry. For our full review of Cold Water and hundreds of other reviews, articles, and podcast episodes visit us at True Myth Media!

I'm not saying it's a bad film, but it definitely isn't great. It's awkwardly filmed, the actors don't deliver any emotion. It's somehow.... dull. For a movie which should explode with emotion, this one just doesn't deliver. It has a good soundtrack, a good story (though very common), but the rest is blank. Not even the lines are worth any attention. I understand this is a low budget, independent film, but unlike others I've seen, it didn't get my attention.

Taking a low-key approach to events that are only earth-shaking to the people involved, Asseyas has made something beautiful and moving from the lives of teenagers not that different from everyone else. The inevitable tragedy plays out with complete naturalness. And the entire sequence of the party at the empty house, rhythmed by the music, is breathtaking.

It's early 70's. Troubled teens Christine (Virginie Ledoyen) and Gilles (Cyprien Fouquet) are star-crossed lovers. She has a problematic relationship with her dad. She gets caught shoplifting while he escapes. She escapes from juvenile detention while he starts playing with dynamite. She convinces him to leave for an artist commune as they walk into the deep woods off the grid.

Olivier Assayas directs this personal indie as he grows into a strong voice in French cinema. The male lead is a bit of a blank but that's fine for the role. Ledoyen cements herself as a promising new actress in this film. She has a gorgeous and open look. She pulls in the audience. I expected Gilles to do something with the dynamite. His side of the story is a little disappointing that doesn't go to its full potential. The ending leaves the threads untied and their relationship uncertain. These are two young hot people in love but the future is no happily ever after. It's left hanging and that's how I felt. I'm uncertain about these kids and this movie.

I really hadn't expected much of this movie when I saw it in Brooklyn last summer. But, as a coming of age story, it's one of the few ones that really hits home for me. Cold Water is just such a frustrated, restless film, neither condemning nor forgiving its self-involved children and inadequate parents. It's fair in that way, which is refreshing. I'm tired of hearing rich kids get a lot of breaks and tired of hearing the Richard Fords explain away their parenting mistakes.

Visually, it's not a terribly structured or naturalistic film, and maybe that's why it seems to be so right on. The frenetic energy and seeming meaninglessness of the individual shots really conveys the frustration that comes from having the faculties of an adult, but none of the powers. Those shots come together in these long, slow sequences . . . small town livin'. There's a seeming, but deceptive, plotlessness that drew a lot of recognition from me.

You shouldn't miss the party scene. Man, that brings back memories. Pure recklessness, and listening to CCR over and over and over.