Éternité

A family saga. Or rather an inventory of births and deaths of a family spawning close to 200 descendants in the present day. It really feels like a succession from the birth and death records, the movie is filled with narration, much more so than actual dialogue between the characters.

It also idealizes motherhood, pregnancy and matrimonial love to a point that becomes uncomfortable and difficult to swallow. These women have arranged marriages, but somehow are very lucky to find genuine love with their husbands. They also experience multiple pregnancies and miscarriages and children dying very young. This is why we need contraception people. But I'm sure this is not what Tran is trying to tell us. In fact I am not sure what he is trying to tell us at all. The only thing you can always be certain about with him is stunning cinematography. And yes, everything looks gorgeous, from the period sets, the interiors, the costumes, the hairstyles, the framing to that garden where whole generations of new children play and young love is born.

It also helps that despite a lot of women becoming widows there are no financial concerns whatsoever, so this is clearly an upper middle-class family with incoming revenues and a leisurely lifestyle, but surprisingly there is no nanny in sight. These women are perfect mothers able to devote themselves to up to 7 children a piece. Well, we've clearly regressed as women since then judging by these superhuman mothers here.

A family story across a century. It begins with Jules marriage by the end of the 19th century and it goes till the end of the 20th century when his granddaughter runs to a bridge in Paris to meet the man she loves. During that century love is always present with men and women knowing each other, starting good relationships, weddings, separations and even a few tragic deaths. All this runs in a luxury scenery and environmnent, interior and exteriorl A very pleasant movie to watch. And the performance of actors and actresses is excellent with fine close-ups of their faces. Everytning appears as going very well.

I can see why people can not praise this film - it is very hard to digest. It is set to so many beautiful classical melodies, and the world it sets into motion is just as luminous and wonderful as the music.

The most beautiful french women stay perfect through dozen childbirths, the children are all tender-hearted and dressed with utmost taste and play lovely games.. Nobody does anything else but loving each other with tenderness and softness and deepest understanding and acceptance. Everything is set in paradisaical garden and color and flowers filled rooms... It is a kind of world that we probably all dream of - with not one note of dissonance, of bad taste, of disorder, of any kind of ugliness or dirt. Except there is still death and loss and terrible pain.. and most graceful and elegant way to live through every turn of life...

Is it a Tran Anh Hung's oriental philosophy and unique artistic sensitivity translated into Western setting, or do they really exist - these perfect, subtle, fragile and prosperous families? Is it them we get a glimpse of - sometimes - on Parisian streets and elegant sea resorts? In any way - the film is extremely beautiful to watch and in the current world of terrible deficit of untainted images and characters, it is worth of the highest appreciation...

The fabulous fate of three laying hens, their chicks and their descendants in the wealthy French bourgeoisie from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Beautiful actresses and beautiful images. But is it enough to make a movie? It lasts 2 hours but the first half hour already seems like an eternity. Wonderfully boring. If you really have nothing else to do, can help fall asleep but beware, the music is sometimes interrupted by baby crying ...

Sad that so many beautiful decorations, make up, clothes, scenes and film stills were wasted for nearly nothing. The director's effort to deliver emotions through the tragedy and drama scenes were so weak, that I felt sorry towards the actors, who put the work in it. The movie was over boring, especially the flashbacks, which were totally emptied from the real sense of tragedy and emotion. Obviously, It is easily understood what the director and scenario author wanted to express, but unfortunately, they managed it in a very poor way.