La face cachée de la lune

I didn't know what to expect when I went to see this movie, as the reviews that I've read were mixed. Yet I was not disappointed as the movie dealt with the elements of life in general, from an intergalactic perspective.

The movie revolves around Philippe, who is single and delusional. He is fascinated by outer space and believes that space is really the final frontier for mankind. The death of his mother brought him in contact with his brother who seems to be more successful in his career and life.

Relationships with loved ones, dreams and hopes, failures and success and good music made this movie worth watching. It's about living and not giving up your dreams.

For people in the Theatre community, Lepage is a much heralded genius. But the nature of theatre is that you have to be in the right place at the right time to see his work. With this movie he has etched a beautiful masterpiece for world wide viewing (granted it gets a decent release). I'm not sure if it's just my enthusiasm from having seen the play but the story was just one that I felt I wanted to embrace again. The stage play was so cinematic that a movie seemed inevitable, and the transitions between scenes were even enhanced through the use of a camera rather than stage. This is really too biased to be a review, but if you haven't seen it, you really should.

If you have never seen any of Lepage's work before, this is a good place to start. You will be entertained, educated and amazed by this movie that was created on a shoe-string budget. The movie is packed full of simple, but effective visuals that don't take over the movie, but seamlessly take you on a journey. I particularly liked the Green Screen effects, which (to the untrained eye) are seamless. The final scene in the airport with the large Aim Higher backdrop was the cream of the crop. I also thought that some of the transitions were simple, yet stunning. It is 'one of those films' you would normally find yourself watching on your own one afternoon. It's not for everyone, but if you are open minded, don't mind subtitles and want some light entertainment then this movie will not disappoint.

What Konstantin Tsiolkovsky said of the moon also holds for this movie: it's the perfect escape for those who lead a heavy life. Small surprise 40-something Philippe (Robert Lepage) idolizes Tsiolkovsky, mathematician and pioneer of space exploration. Philippe is a dwarf in life, but a giant in his dreams. In one scene, we actually see him looming over his Montréal neighborhood like Gulliver in the Land of Lilliput. There's a frozen goldfish named Beethoven, a self-righteous younger brother (also Robert Lepage), and a loving mother who never speaks a single word (Anne-Marie Cadieux). The way Robert Lepage treats fact, fiction, dream, memory, and fantasy as aspects of the same, seamless reality are reminiscent of Michel Gondry, but in a minor key. "La Face Cachée" is a quiet movie, moving through the darkness with the solemn gravity of a heavenly body, in tune with the celestial harmonies of Benoît Jutras' original score. It's for you if you liked "The Science of Sleep", "Igby Going Down", "The Life Aquatic", or "The Man Who Wasn't There".

I read nothing of this movie before going in and I'm glad I didn't. I think I would have been put off by any reviews.

This is a great story of human interaction and sibling connection while exploring the depths of the great space race and how it affected one boy's life. Beautifully filmed and containing some truly amazing dialogue, Lepage manages to create an insightful, sometimes funny story of one man's struggle with life.

Lepage is a great talent. He not only starred in but also wrote and directed this great little movie. I think many will miss this one which is really sad. Movies like this should really be part of everyone's regular viewing. We'd all be much more enlightened characters if that was the case.

8/10 Innovative, fun and entertaining.