plupu66

In case you don't know, Winnipeg is a city in Canada (in the province of Manitoba). The film starts with the premise that instead of the English language and the British-influenced culture, Winnipeg has embraced Iranian (Persian) culture and the official language there is Farsi.

And this is the least strange element of the film. In the beginning I was intrigued by the premise and I gave the film an honest chance. (Well, contrasting the colourful Persian culture with the more austere British one is not such a bad idea after all.) Unfortunately, things got more and more absurd - touching the ridiculous and the non-sensical. While I had a couple of chuckles, the whole nonsense got to me and instead of being intriguing, thought-provoking or entertaining, the film proved to be annoying.

There were some well shot images, and some scenes that - by themselves - made some sense. Overall, I think this film was made by a self-indulgent director who piled up stuff that may have made sense just to himself.

First a clarification - the low average star score is probably due to some people expecting a run of the mill Hollywood flick - and missing its point.

Quite a clever Netflix series about a brilliant (woman) astronaut being sent to the international space station to research/find out... well, do watch the film. Her husband and her bright daughter - back on Earth - get involved in a quite intriguing series of events.

Four suspenseful episodes keep you on the brink of your seat guessing who's who and what they really are after - and, more importantly, what the message of the film would eventually be.

The astronaut and her family are quite likeable and the film is well made - with some action - but without going overboard.

The film holds a mirror to our human society (as a whole) - and the ending is brilliant (for those who care to think about it).

I rarely watch American films - they are often cookie-cutter affairs, predictable after the first 15 minutes with a clear delimitation between good guys (who will get rich or married or both) and bad guys (who will get their "just deserts").

French Exit is completely different. It makes one think. It has depth and symbolism. It is intriguing. The characters are strange and likeable - each in their own way. It is a pleasure trying to find the hidden meaning in each scene.

Reality and fantasy intertwine seamlessly. The film has a dreamlike feel - the plot quite imaginative.

Oh, and Michelle Pfeiffer is just as sublime - in her beauty, acting and demeanour - as she ever was.

Let yourself be taken by this film where the film takes you - and, after the film, ponder about it and discover its meaning(s).