Le règne de la beauté

Most critics have scorned at this movie for not being the usual politically, critically engaged Denys Arcand movie. Arcand started by exposing the many ills of a corrupt and dominant liberal (in the economic sense) society, used a lot of sarcasm in later movies to depict the ills of large state bureaucracies. This movie makes no exception as he stages architecture juries and again Quebec's health system. I do not agree with some of his reductionist statements, but I do love all of his movies for being pure art. "Le règne de la beauté" is by far his most achieved artistic statement, whereas he brings out the beauty of all the characters,making them so endearing, and of course showing the best sceneries across the four seasons in the province he truly loves.

The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions were the only two movies about a group of unlikable people talking and talking and talking that I enjoyed repeatedly and still once in a while I watch them again. I enjoyed other Arcand movies too; so I can state that is one of my preferred directors and found his subjects matters quite interesting and his approach original.

Well "La Regne de la Beaute" (which translates in "The reign of Beauty") is not the case. The whole movie on precious scenery after the other; beautiful people in each frame; perfectly dressed and even the music is beautiful; but what was the point of all that?.

The intellectual (but overall shallow) bourgeois French / Canadian society it is one of his preferred subjects; as it is the declining health care in Canada (or at least in Quebec); but none of these themes are quite developed here.

The infidelity of a young successful architect without considering his wife's slow descending into madness; could be an statement about a society that became so cold that family is no longer important (none of the characters has kids and nobody really seems to care about infidelities or jealously ) At the end is about a year in the life of a group of people with lots of personal issues resolved in an absolute cold manner.

I will perhaps seat through the movie again; but at first sight colder than all the snow in Quebec.

So much to like about this movie - if you can appreciate the content rather than what's missing. Excellent acting, beautiful scenery, interesting storyline. Could be 3 hours long and go into more detail. Leaves you to imagine what was really happening in the marriage and how the lives of the three main characters went forward. One of those movies where you want more - more details, more of what led to the events that transpired. I feel the writer, director, or both we're allowing you to feel the story rather than explain it. To allow you to experience the emotion that each of the main characters were feeling.

Being a huge fan of ''Le Déclin de l'Empire Américain'' and of ''Les Invasions Barbares'' I was anticipating this film to be pretty awesome until I read reviews that were saying that even though the images are absolutely stunning, the movie was empty. Well I definitely agree about the images, but the film wasn't empty at all. It was a realistic look at the life of a beautiful, successful young adult. The characters are ''modern'' if I can use such a term. They admit to cheat on their partner without any guilt like it was normal and I feel a little social criticism on Arcand's part. It's like the film Nashville, there's not really a story, but some observations by the director. I don't compare this movie with Nashville, but I think you get the point. It's a beautifully shot realistic view into a young successful architect life

Love the work of Arcand and this effort is among his best. Visually stunning cinematography and strong acting throughout, in particular a strong performance turned in by Melanie Merkosky. Totally an enjoyable flic, two thumbs up as they used to say when critics mattered.