Cosmos

COSMOS is the prototype of an art-house film. Cerebral, full of nuances, this Canadian film (in Quebecois with English subtitles) shows us bits of Montreal's "cosmos". Developed through sixsomewhat related vignettes, four of them involve a Greek taxi driver (apparently inspiring the film's title). The beautiful black and white cinematography sets just the right tone for these slice of life depictions. I definitely recommended it for "art-house cinema" aficionados.

This movie is a perfect example of the use of film as an artistic expression. It is different, and should thus be seen with an open-mind. There are different writers/directors for different part of the film and I must say that some are better than others (If they were all at the same level, it would easily receive a 10/10). The pace is generally slow, but appropriate silences and the singular contribution of black & white color (or lack thereof) assure that you pay attention to what's going on. One director experiments with unusual camera angles quite successfully. The dialogue in every piece is spectacular, giving both a realistic portrayal of characters and a very intelligent analysis of society. The storytelling aspect is somewhat inferior, but this can be expected with the miss-match of barely related stories. Plus it makes up more than enough in content. The acting is generally good, but I must point out the delightful performance of Marc Jeanty, who makes the perky ending of the movie worth the wait.

The stories are simple in themselves, but explore in depth vital aspects of contemporary humanity. The tone is nonchalant, but the underlining reflections are quite a propos. There may sometimes seem to be no links between the stories, but that may very well be the point. Everyone lives their lives independently, and only rarely are paths crossed...

This movie will by-in-large make you think, make you appreciate something artistically different, and even make you laugh whole-heartedly in this well orchestrated symbiosis of ideas.

The idea of having 6 directors create 6 miniature stories in a common setting is a fun and creative idea for a film. The only problem being that the viewers are probably going to have different reactions to each story and the limited time the directors had to flush out their stories makes it questionable how much replayability there is for the film.

Personally I enjoyed Dallaire's and Alleyn's pieces the most. The main issue I have is that the stories are tonally inconsistent. Half of the stories are more serious and somber and the other half are more absurdist and wacky. I found myself only really engaged for the more serious half.

The movie is a grab bag of subplots and most viewers will enjoy a couple a lot and the won't likely be bored with the rest.

I enjoyed this joint effort mainly because of the work of Denis Villeneuve and André Turpin.

For a 1996 movie, Villeneuve's take on so-called underground cybernetic culture is quite insightful and at the same time, light and funny. Convincefully played by David Lahaye.

André Turpin's short, "Jules & Fanny", is thoroughly funny and original. It showcases two persons whose on-screen personalities have nothing spectacular (Jules is a rather small guy, Fanny is a typical woman next door) and yet in a short time we are brought to be fascinated by their personalities. This was before "Matroni & Moi" and "Bureaux", so we weren't quite as fed up with Martin's obsession with the death of god yet.

Turpin's camera work also holds the film together. Otherwise, Manon Briand segment is extremely predictable, not to say boring (let me guess.. it's about someone who happens to be gay), M-J Dallaire's short is amateurish and completely lacking in substance, Jennifer Alleyn's effort is a tribute to her own personal nostalgia with French Theatre of the 1950s, while Paragamian's finale is just not very entertaining.

I'd give it a 9 if it were for VIlleneuve's and Turpin's segments alone.

"Cosmos" is one of the rare anthology films where its composite nature strengthens, rather than detracts from, its cohesion and identity as an artistic work. Six stories are presented, all happening in Montreal but otherwise seemingly unrelated. In each story is an appearance by the cab driver Cosmos, and there are occasional glimpses of other stories' characters, providing a framework to bind them together. But each story also deals with themes of separation or disjointedness; either from society, loved ones, or within the characters themselves. There are also chance meetings and coincidences that occur throughout, bringing unlikely combinations of people together. The characters, like the six stories, are distinct and separate but also tenuously and unmistakably linked.

"Cosmos" is a film of great humour, pathos, poignancy, wit, even zany slapstick. I have seen precious few films like this one and recommend it heartily.