France

Not far from the Brandenburg Gate, I happened to be standing right next to the German TV presenter Johannes B. Kerner, who was already getting ready for a TV dress rehearsal of the New Year's Eve celebration broadcast on the ZDF television station. I was able to see up close how thick the make-up is on the faces of our TV noses. Lea SEYDOUX wears exactly this type of television make-up throughout the entire film. And then there are the strange clothes that are supposed to look good on the screen, but in reality look pretty grotesque.

It all starts with President Macron personally having to warn the popular TV presenter France De Meurs (SEYDOUX) to keep quiet at his press conference. Then we witness how current news television is staged. Bizarre, enlightening and very frightening! It's about appearance, staging and reality. And yes, Bruno DUMONT's films are always very special. Please only watch if you have a good dose of joy in cynicism!

The cast is great! Chansonnier Benjamin BIOLAY is there as the author husband of the busy TV reporter, Juliane KÖHLER (Silver Bear 1999 for AIMEE & JAGUAR) has a bizarre appearance as an over-the-top spa patient. And the comedienne Blanche GARDIN is really great as the manager of our television nose. I also really liked her in "Delete History". This actress is definitely one to keep an eye on! Seriously! And then an almost forgotten female former chancellor scurries across the screen...mon dieu!

The film has so far grossed $1.3 million in the box office worldwide. And yes, I have to admit it: I'm cynical enough to say that I really enjoyed the film. And evil as I am, the TV-obsessed France de Meurs often made me think of German talk show hosts like Sabine CHRISTIANSEN...well, enough of the nastiness for now!!! Oh yes, the film can be seen in the original version with subtitles in German cinemas, which is also very sensible. There's no other way, really!

France de Meurs (Léa Seydoux) is a famous TV news host and she's a celebrity. She skillfully stages her warzone interviews and always puts herself in the middle. She juggles her busy professional life with her family life. She's at fault in a minor car accident and she starts spiraling.

The movie meanders along too long. It's not only the over two hours running time. The story keeps going and going. When the accident happens, I figured the story would pivot around that. I even thought that the family would scam her and make it an even bigger media circus. It seems to be making Baptiste as the brooding teenager ready to make her life miserable. Then those characters fade away. The affair at the retreat is an extra thing that extends the story. At some point, I want the movie to end. It overstays its welcome and I get antsy in the seat. I do like her staging of her interviews. Her accident could be poetic justice if the accident was staged. That's why it's a better central issue.

Some people appear to be comparing this (favourably) to Network, which is a bit puzzling. It's not a bad film by any means, but there's a reason that Network is remembered as a classic after 45 years - which I doubt will be the case here.

However, Seydoux is radiant here, and clearly having fun with her own (real life) fame and image in her portrayal of the "celebrity journalist" France. Her apartment is glorious as are (initially) most aspects of her life - which of course starts to fall apart shortly into the action.

Tonally, though, I was often confused by this... for example the opening scene seems to be being played for laughs but appears mainly just embarrassing. Later on, some *really* tragic things happen to her - but is this simply for dramatic effect rather than some kind of karma? I really wasn't sure. Certainly little seemed comedic in the normal sense, although those familiar with Dumont fare such as "Slack Bay" will probably be ready for "not normal" approaches. He seems much more restrained here.

Worth a look, but I doubt I'll be rewatching.

You get the idea what they wanted to do here. To put all different aspects of television (news, reality TV, etc.) in a movie and make a bit fun of it.

But it's just too long and everything keeps on repeating itself. If this movie would be one hour shorter, it would be much better in my opinion.

Also: Lea Seydoux cries more in this movie than me at home chopping onions!

"Such faux-naivety shows Dumont's tricksy proclivity to go against the grain for characterization, he distances France from a realistic, complex character, then magnifies her every banal emotion beat from her easily processed headspace to the extreme of absurdity. France has no tact in fending off life's caprices, her guilt (after injuring an immigrant delivery man), her rage (a romance with a fellow resident in an expensive sanitarium turning out to be a hoax), her grief (a road tragedy shot in disturbingly long and slo-mo details), never reach far to get audience's sympathy. France de Meurs might be read as a symbol of France the country, all glossy and haute-couture-y, but troubled by the immigrant crisis, deluded by the deceptive wooing parties and dreading disaster can be detonated at any minute and much more."

read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, thanks.