La séparation

La Separation makes you realize the value of true acting ability. Danilel Auteuil & Isabelle Huppert give a masterclass. I never thought that I'd be glad Juliette Binoche didn't turn up for work. The story has all the makings of a soap opera, but the thing that lifts this film is the simply marvelous acting. In other hands I think this movie would slip quietly onto the French equivalent of the Lifetime channel. There are no silences. In this movie one look speaks a thousand words. I struggle to think of any other movie where I have been so entranced by the pure acting of the male and female leads. More emotionally draining than Casablanca. This is a real weepy. Why? Because the acting makes you live the pain.

The aptly titled film "The Separation" scrutinizes the disintegration of the relationship between a couple (Huppert & Auteuil). That's it...no more, no less. Superbly acted by two of France's finest at the top of their game, the film has little going for it making it a fringe watch for foreign or French cinema buffs. Not recommended for general consumption. (B-)

This is a well filmed, well acted, movie, but it lacks a good story. They're separating, it's sad. It would have made a great short, but at 85 minutes it seems too long. The performances are excellent, and the use of mood and color is nice, but that alone is not enough for a good film. At least not for me.

Any person who has seen and loved Un coeur en hiver (The Heart in Winter) should see this film as well - it also stars the melancholic Daniel Auteuil. It's almost painful to see him laugh. A film that contrasts the bitterness of betrayal with the sweetness of intimacy, La Séparation delves into the anatomy of a break-up - the growing coolness, lack of concern, estrangement that can exist between two people who still are the primary characters in one another's stories. The couple is not married, but have a home, son, and life in common. Even as they discuss the thing that has come between them, the two cuddle; indeed, were the dialogue silenced for a moment or two, it would be easy to believe they were comforting each other. And indeed, they attempt to soothe each other even as they seem to rend their relationship beyond reconciliation. There is a great reluctance to separate, but is this because of love, comfort, or the fear of starting over? See this movie alone, and don't plan to go dancing afterwards. Buy a bottle of red wine on the way home from the theater (if you are fortunate enough to see it in one).

This was a pretty odd film in that there isn't a whole lot of context for what is occurring and there really isn't any resolution as well. Instead of the typical Hollywood-style film with a firm beginning, middle and end to wrap everything together, this movie is more like a slice taken out of a real couple's marriage--like the viewer is peering in through a keyhole just as a marriage is dissolving. You see the couple in crisis but why and how this all turns out isn't there. Now for some viewers, this will no doubt be maddening--they NEED this information to enjoy the film. However, if you suspend your need for this information and just watch, you'll see that the actors and writers really do a great job of exploring PEOPLE. This really doesn't look like actors acting, but looks like a reality show of sorts. Because of this, this is an exceptional movie technically and gives an unflinching view of heartbreak and loss.