L'âge des ténèbres

The main concept of this underseen Denys Arcand film is not original (downtrodden middle-aged public servant with a problematic family life finds refuge in his nighttime dreams and his even more vivid daytime fantasies), but it is well-employed by the Canadian writer-director and the result is a mature, incisive, intelligent, moving, and sometimes very funny film. As usual, Arcand feels free to deal with a different topic in almost every other scene, and the film embraces ideas as well as good old-fashioned slapstick. 17 years later, its views on our "connected" society and the bewildering government bureaucracy are more pertinent than ever. *** out of 4.

Saw this recently at the Canadian film festival.

I was expecting to be let down by this film (as Arcand set the bar very high with his previous films. However I was pleasantly surprised and found this to be very, very entertaining.

With the opening shower scene and the fact that his wife is a real estate agent there are obvious comparisons to American Beauty.

Ulimately I think Arcand covers more ground in his film and you can't help but laugh at his very dark and also very accurate observations on modern life in a big city.

From ridiculous government bureaucracy to disconnection through mobile phones and MP3 players, speed dating and relationships in general Arcand is dead on.

I guess the only thing I didn't quite agree with was the notion of moving to the country house away from the city and it's craziness and everything will be just fine.

I guess it is ultimately sad that this is a pretty accurate depiction of modern society in many western countries right now. The level of disconnection among people is both sad and and frustrating.

But I loved the honesty in the film and found it extremely entertaining and much funnier than his other films.

Very original plot. A very funny take on bureaucracy, political correctness and the nanny state gone overboard.

Takes itself too seriously towards the end, and ultimately the plot drifts, but some screamingly funny moments along the way.

By mid eighties, living in South America, I attended a showing of "The Decline of the American Empire" in a long (festival) cut. There were a lot of buzz about this Canadian movie; it was serious Oscar contender, had won in Cannes and so on. For about two hours, I witnesses four women talking about sex, four men talking about sex and the eight together talking about sex. All of them a bunch of intellectual college professors (with some socialist political tendencies). Against all odds and expectations, it was one of the most funny and interesting movies I ever saw.

Twenty years later, the same eight characters came back for a follow up with a few new ones. It was called "The Barbarian Invasions". This time, sex was not the subject but the social environment and changes. People had matured and political tendencies too. Aside from winning the Oscar this time, it was no better but a perfect companion to the first one. Now, few years later comes "L' Age des Tenebres" (in English "The age of ignorance" or "The Time of Darkness"). It was labeled as the third part of a trilogy but it has no relation with the other two aside from one character briefly appearance.

This time, we follow the story of Jean-Marc Leblanc. An underachiever public servant; married to an ambitious real estate broker who ignores him (well, mutually). Jean Marc survives his frustrations on fantasies (some of them sexual with four gorgeous women he has some kind of relation. When his wife leaves him on a job opportunity, he falls down a tries to get a grip of the real word, however things are not that easy. If you think it looks like "American Beauty" you are not completely wrong but this movie goes further and not as PC as "American Beauty" did. Well, at least there is no need to kill the main character. "L' Age des Tenebres" is coming of age (or a coming to terms) comedy about people facing reality a little too late.

It falls short compared to the other two parts; even when it is probably more commercial and accessible but compared to similar attempts from other directors is really a masterpiece.

Of course, if you are a person who believes our modern society is the culmination of human evolution and you are comfortable with the western way of life, you might not like this movie so much (referring to the review posted by someone from Chicoutimi). Otherwise, it has to be one of the most brilliant criticisms about the North-American way of life. Another reviewer compared it to Brazil from Gilliam, and there surely are some similarities, though Arcand does not go as far into surrealism. The cast is wonderful. All in all it is a great satire that makes you reflect on many aspects of life in our time. It is funny, but really dark at the same time. I liked it even better the second time I watched it. It just lacks a little something - maybe a stronger climax - to be a masterpiece.