zachsaltz
Joined Feb 2002
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Reviews14
zachsaltz's rating
"Beau-Père" is not a skin flick, though the cover of the DVD and VHS would make you think otherwise. Yes, it's about a very taboo topic, to say the least - the sexual relationship between a 40-ish piano player and his 14-year-old stepdaughter - but the great Bertrand Blier, who explored similar territory in "Get Out Your Handkerchiefs" eases the unease by doing the unthinkable and turning the movie into a screwball comedy.
Well, that's what we think, at first. Remi (played magnificently by Blier favorite Patrick Dewaere), not unlike Humbert in Nabokov's "Lolita" tells us of his tragic plight; after his wife dies tragically, he is left with his stepdaughter, Marion (Ariel Besse). Uncomfortable with the new rift in the household, Marion childishly assumes the "mother" role and takes on all motherly duties - including seducing her stepfather. Remi refuses, but there is danger lurking in Marion's pubescent body and puppy-dog eyes. Not realizing this danger, he eventually gives in.
Of course, giving into his stepdaughter is a mistake that plunges both Remi and Marion deeper and deeper into misery. Even Marion's real father suspects a mutual sexuality between them and, in one of the film's more heartbreaking moments, completely dissolves his obligation as a father and OKs the incestuous affair. Remi and Marion, then, are not so much connected by their sexual bond, but by the fact that they've both been abandoned by the people they love. There's no real question about where the affair is going, but the tragedy lies in who gets hurt the most. The final image of the movie may haunt me forever.
The movie is obviously not for all tastes, but it should be said that the sex is never gratuitous. In fact, it seems almost distracting when compared to what Blier really wants to get across - the divide between adolescence and adulthood and how seemingly frivolous sexual encounters can ruin lives forever. And, like "Hankerchiefs", the movie somehow provides some truly funny moments. "Beau-Père" is Bertrand Blier's masterpiece and a film that should be seen by all connaisseurs of intelligent, challenging cinema. 10/10
Well, that's what we think, at first. Remi (played magnificently by Blier favorite Patrick Dewaere), not unlike Humbert in Nabokov's "Lolita" tells us of his tragic plight; after his wife dies tragically, he is left with his stepdaughter, Marion (Ariel Besse). Uncomfortable with the new rift in the household, Marion childishly assumes the "mother" role and takes on all motherly duties - including seducing her stepfather. Remi refuses, but there is danger lurking in Marion's pubescent body and puppy-dog eyes. Not realizing this danger, he eventually gives in.
Of course, giving into his stepdaughter is a mistake that plunges both Remi and Marion deeper and deeper into misery. Even Marion's real father suspects a mutual sexuality between them and, in one of the film's more heartbreaking moments, completely dissolves his obligation as a father and OKs the incestuous affair. Remi and Marion, then, are not so much connected by their sexual bond, but by the fact that they've both been abandoned by the people they love. There's no real question about where the affair is going, but the tragedy lies in who gets hurt the most. The final image of the movie may haunt me forever.
The movie is obviously not for all tastes, but it should be said that the sex is never gratuitous. In fact, it seems almost distracting when compared to what Blier really wants to get across - the divide between adolescence and adulthood and how seemingly frivolous sexual encounters can ruin lives forever. And, like "Hankerchiefs", the movie somehow provides some truly funny moments. "Beau-Père" is Bertrand Blier's masterpiece and a film that should be seen by all connaisseurs of intelligent, challenging cinema. 10/10
Tim Roth's "The War Zone" is not the type of movie you and your buddies rent on a boring Saturday night. It may well be the most powerful and brutal examination of a family ever put on film. It was certainly one of the most profound emotional experiences of my life; excuse me for being trite, but I would go so far as to say this movie changed my life.
The setting is rural Devon, England, inhabited by crashing waves and ominous clouds. We meet a quaint, amiable newly-arrived family. Dad is gruff and lean and a little harried. Mum is loving and very pregnant. The eldest daughter, Jessie, is home for the summer and seems cold and aloof. And the son, Tom, desperately misses his old chums and spends his days riding his bike aimlessly bored.
"The War Zone" is deceptive at first in seeming to be about something it is not really about. We think we're in for a happy movie after the family survives a nasty car crash on the way to the hospital to deliver the new baby. But the crash merely provides a foreshadow of what is to come . . . and it ain't pretty.
I don't want to reveal too much about the film, but I will say that I've sat through "Schindler's List", "Black Hawk Down", and "Elephant" without batting an eye and this one really sickened me. There are a number of scenes that are disgusting in the traditional R-rated ways, but the scenes that really did it for me involved simple conversations about the heinous secrets lodged deep in the family. Roth spares us nothing; the film is excessive and pushes the boundary, and for that, I am convinced that no film will ever be as grossly impactful as "The War Zone."
There are too few superlatives to use for this film; the casting, the sets, the music, the cinematography, all perfect. "The War Zone" is a flawless motion picture that's difficult to say you love, but one that is so brave and beautiful, it's unnerving. 10/10
The setting is rural Devon, England, inhabited by crashing waves and ominous clouds. We meet a quaint, amiable newly-arrived family. Dad is gruff and lean and a little harried. Mum is loving and very pregnant. The eldest daughter, Jessie, is home for the summer and seems cold and aloof. And the son, Tom, desperately misses his old chums and spends his days riding his bike aimlessly bored.
"The War Zone" is deceptive at first in seeming to be about something it is not really about. We think we're in for a happy movie after the family survives a nasty car crash on the way to the hospital to deliver the new baby. But the crash merely provides a foreshadow of what is to come . . . and it ain't pretty.
I don't want to reveal too much about the film, but I will say that I've sat through "Schindler's List", "Black Hawk Down", and "Elephant" without batting an eye and this one really sickened me. There are a number of scenes that are disgusting in the traditional R-rated ways, but the scenes that really did it for me involved simple conversations about the heinous secrets lodged deep in the family. Roth spares us nothing; the film is excessive and pushes the boundary, and for that, I am convinced that no film will ever be as grossly impactful as "The War Zone."
There are too few superlatives to use for this film; the casting, the sets, the music, the cinematography, all perfect. "The War Zone" is a flawless motion picture that's difficult to say you love, but one that is so brave and beautiful, it's unnerving. 10/10