pcoyne

I saw this film in New York City, at a matinee consisting of about eight people, based on a favorable review by Vincent Canby during his last days as the chief movie critic for the New York Times. It has stayed with me, and has often come to mind in the many years since then.

Nicole Garcia's direction is highly personal, highly indiosyncratic, with the texture and richness of real life and lived experience rather than the polish and technique of a film school graduate with a big studio budget. In a way, with its strong woman's point of view and its refusal to pander for audience approval of its characters' behavior, it might make for an interesting pairing with Allison Anders' independent American film, Gas, Food, Lodging (though the two films are in no way related in storyline, locale, socio-economic milieu, etc.).

Nathalie Baye is extraordinarily effective as the heroine on the verge of (or in the midst of) a spiritual breakdown. She can be rude and sullen, but strangely fascinating; she has a great drunk scene in which she blows a much-needed job; she's full of surprises and a far more interesting actress than the mediocre one she's playing in the film, as she drives on in search of an eclipse and ultimate redemption.

Though it is deliberately small in scale and proportioned accordingly, this film is well worth a look, both as a superb character study and as a choice acting vehicle for Ms. Baye.

Perhaps that's why I like it. Ingmar was not so nice to Ingrid when he wrote about the experience of directing her in his autobiography, but the director/actor relationship works well as far as the results on film are concerned. Liv was not so well served this time, however.

Is it time for a remake, with Faye Dunaway and, say, Uma Thurman??? Maybe Roman Polanski could be persuaded to direct it.

This film is modestly budgeted, and was no doubt hastily made. But it is nonetheless a fascinating cultural artifact, a portrait of a time when the idea of reincarnation was a radical concept in America. The director had a genuine interest in the subject, and the always appealing Teresa Wright does a lovely job dancing the "Morning Jig." In many ways, this film is a lot more forthright and a lot less hokey than "The Three Faces of Eve," which would make an interesting pairing with "Bridey" on a double bill. I have to give it an unweighted 8, and pray that Shirley MacLaine never decides to remake it.