Insensata Paixão

I gave seven for the absolutely mesmerizing cast. This couple formed by Guillaume Gallienne (Les garçons et Guillaume à table, Yves Saint Laurent), one of the most versatile and surprising French actors (he's also part of la Comedy Francaise theater company), always powerful in his creativity, and a very talented young actress,like Adele Exarchopoulos (La vie d'Adele) who can explode with emotions, seemed odd on paper but it works, like all the other actors (notable mention to the wonderful Stephanie Cleau). Fortunately, I must say, because the director Pierre Godeau, doesn't seem able to cope properly with the sensitive matter in the plot. A love story in prison between the jail director and a prisoner, inspired to a real fact that happened to "Emma" , a young woman involved in France, in the vicious kidnapping and homicide of a young Jewish man by a street gang. None of the criminal case is present in the movie. Godeau sublimates the characters in the world apart of the prison, which can be cool, but he hasn't a real direction. Here everything is left in mid-air, or reduced to simplistic answers. The actors nonetheless make the movie compelling.

No pun intended - I doubt there are any warm colors in prison ... on the other hand, they do have some painting sessions too, so there is that. But this is about a forbidden love - about what it does to people who should not love each other - mentally and otherwise. And it may not be the one in prison who actually is ... a prisoner of love .... well you know what I mean.

All that aside, the acting is incredible. And Adele really bares it all - so yes a lot of nudity, which you should not have issues with, if you want to watch the movie. But it also is quite straining when you think about the relationships of the characters.

Very well laid out - and it sort of makes sense - stuff like this happens and the movie is a reminder. Now you can blame one party or the other, depending on your moral compass .... but sometimes things just fall into place without anyone being able to stop them ... well those involved that is ... hurting others is the byproduct for sure. Not an easy watch, but quite passionate in more than one sense.

This movie really is just a bad clichée.

Mid aged prison warden (Guillaume Gallienne aged 44) falls for his much younger and very beautiful new female prisoner (Adèle Exarchopoulos aged 23).

The story line is all about his attraction for her. And it's extremely flat and boring. We don't know her objectives. Which could be made in an interesting manner, except it's not. And there is nothing extraordinarily interesting about this story, except that it is set in a prison.

The film is basically a creepy old man lusting after a beautiful young girl. Not exactly new story... There is no depht to it either, it really is as shallow as it sounds.

I confess, I was already in love with Adéle Exarchopolus as a result of her brilliant performance in Blue is the Warmest Color. Down By Love is based on a true story deftly told by Pierre Godeau. The director never reveals the reason that Anna (Exarchopolous) is in prison and concentrates on the complex relationship between Anna and the prison director Jean. Jean is married with a loving wife and a wonderful daughter. Jean's wife, Stéphanie exhibits amazing tolerance and love as she becomes aware of the unfolding relationship between Jean and Anna. Anna is played perfectly by Exarchopolus capitalizing on her natural but sultry demeanor. Not only is Exarchoplous easy on the eye but she is an accomplished actor who portrays these complex emotions flawlessly. The end, as in many French films, is left open ... as an eternal romantic I am allowed to create the ending I really desire in my mind. Well worth watching.

This is no masterpiece, as I've noted with a rating of 4. Exarchopoulos is a limited actress, and she's in practically every scene. Gallienne is a more than capable actor, but his part falls into blandness most of the time. The supporting cast do their best with a limited script. It was nice to see Marie Riviere, star of several Rohmer films, as the girl's mother. The story of a decent man falling for a trashy girl is hardly new; it's the plot of one of the greatest operas, Carmen. At least in that work, the audience is not required to guess at the motivations of the two leads.