35 Rhums
This film is intriguing, and intriguing
by design. As it surprises by design. The man and woman that are perhaps man
and wife are, in fact, father and daughter. The jogger dives suddenly into the
canal/river to impress his girlfriend (or is she a "girl friend").
The two men that might be engaging in a clandestine romance are, in reality, friends,
one of whom fears the prospect of, to paraphrase him, the maw of an unfulfilling
retirement opening up ahead of him. And so it goes with the intrigue and
surprise. The old adage of "show, not tell" is clearly in evidence
here, and the overall effect turns out to be a filmic Rorschach test.
Using the subtle cues from the
filmmakers, the audience are invited to create their own narrative, their own
take on how the characters got to where they are. Not much is said - by the
taciturn widower Lionel, most notably - and little specifics emerge about the
characters' past, although hints are dropped. What is said tends to reinforce
the idea we have already formed about the characters, rather than adding an
extra layer to their personas. Perhaps we form a more complete idea of their
personas because of this, or maybe this sense derives from the fact their
personas lack depth: There is little to know, so we get the feeling that we
know what little there is, well.
There is a lot of touching, and
hugging. Much of this happens between Lionel and his daughter. Everyone looks
very photogenic, and takes pride in their appearance. These facts probably help
to draw us in and engage us, but the overall effect, because of the characters'
typically mute presences, their economical use of gesture, and almost laconic
aura, together with the crisp photography, is often suggestive of a fashion
editorial in a glossy magazine.
Much of the action occurs at
night or indoors, and the clothing and lighting suggest Winter or Autumn. Street
lights or house lights in nocturnal urban settings is a recurring visual theme.
This is evidenced to best effect in the image of an array of internally lit
appartments, like coloured candles pigeonholed, the sense of which is
incorporated into the movie's opening and closing credits. The film's musical
theme is pleasant, invoking what is perhaps a cliched sense of Paris/France.
One of the film's most engaging episodes involves some characters dining and
dancing at an impromptu soiree, and Soul and Cuban classics are given a
prominent role on that occasion. Some of the characters enjoy themselves that
night, some don't. The ones who do make what they want of their life, take what
they want from life. You very well might enjoy this film. Make what you want of
it.