When it comes to French movies, what flashes in my mind is nothing more than beautiful pictures, charming girls, and romantic sentiments. The unique French style of images is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. However, the film recommended today seems to subvert the author's consistent impression of French films, and let me see another side of her.
French film "L'amant double"
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Main cast: Marine Vacth (Chloé), Jérémie Renier (Paul/Louis)
Story Overview: Telling Chloé's Psychological and Physical "Healing" Journey
Release Date: Premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 26, 2017
This is an unusual French film that combines romance, suspense, psychology, pathology, self-breakthrough, and various elements. Without seeing the last second, the audience cannot fully appreciate the real message the director wants to convey.
Without further ado, enter the comments. (The film review is a bit long, it is recommended to make a cup of tea and enjoy it slowly)
I, French director Francois Ozon
Personally, I rarely list the director of a work as a recommendation point (because most directors are of the same type and are the same), but Ozon is different. This maverick Frenchman thinks it is necessary to introduce one or two below. !
François Ozon, born in 1967, made his debut in the early 1990s and has been in the film and television industry for more than 20 years. Representative works include the early "Summer Sling Dress", "Eight Beauties" and "Puppet" after the new millennium, and "New Girlfriend" three years ago. With a strong self-style, he is good at meshing "artistic aesthetics + black humor + psychological exploration", presenting a unique dark and tempting movie style.
II, the ingenious film structure
The European-style slowness + French aesthetic romance + Ozon's unique morbid aesthetics + simple soul dialogue constitute this masterpiece with a far-reaching artistic conception, which is like a dream.
1. The rhythm of the film. European tradition, one word "slow". In the opening ten minutes of dialogue (patient Chloé and psychiatrist Paul), the typical warm-up mode of slow-heat works is started.
2, the video screen. French charm, two words "amazing". To mention a few scenes, fans can pay attention to it while watching the film.
①Simple and neat street background.
②The interior of the museum is elegant and capable.
③ looming indulgent carnival.
3. Sick aesthetics. Ozon accent, two words "horror". When the concept of "parasitic fetus" is mentioned at the end of the film, all the unresolved questions in the film are solved, and Chloé's dual diseases of physiology and psychology have found the ultimate source.
4. Soul dialogue. In layman's terms, it is the communication between the inner self and the apparent self. It sounds dazzling, but it is actually a process of self-recognition.
III, the twists and turns of the plot trend
Trying to divide the video of more than 100 minutes into three sections according to the change of the film's flavor, the audience experienced three very different artistic conceptions and painting styles.
The first is beautiful love.
Story Time: Opening to before the scene "Chloé sees Louis" (around 22 minutes and 30 seconds).
Flavor: Full of literary and artistic style, the rhythm is not rushed, the picture is light and charming, and the plot develops smoothly, just like an exquisite love drama.
The second is a perverted thriller.
Storytime: "Chloé tries to reach Louis" to "Chloé shoots Louis" (minutes 27-93).
Flavor: Naked psychological thriller, fiery disorientation, psychedelic vision, psychological suggestion, and a triple explosion of dark atmosphere, Ozon's performance in this section is simply amazing.
The third, fall into the clichés.
Story time period: The last ten minutes of the film (before and after the introduction of the medical term "parasitic fetus")
Flavor: Dust settled, back to basics. In the end, the director did not jump out of the "original frame", and the end of the film ended with "medical cases", which was dwarfed by the opening and closing in the middle. Slightly disappointed.
IV, fantasy appearance, false core
From the first minute to the last minute of the film, the director has designed a lot of unforgettable (deeply hidden) scenes and objects. These visual impacts and psychological hints make the work very interesting. Next, let's count them down one by one.
1. The opening "haircut" scene. It indicates the various spiritual entanglements between the heroine and her sister who died in her mother's womb before she was born.
2. The ghost that appears in the mirror many times. The "mirror effect" in psychology. (Interested friends can borrow books written by American psychologist Charles Horton Cooley)
3. Spiral staircase. Another psychology-related image, alluding to Chloé's past trauma. (If you are interested, you can check the "spiral mode psychodrama", ie: TSI).
4. Sculptures in the museum. These so-called sculptures are exactly the same as the "parasitic tires", why? Implying the cause of the heroine, in other words, the director first laid a foreshadowing in order to complete the story.
5. Chloé went to visit Sandra. Audiences who know the ending must be well aware that this so-called Sandra is just another self (schizophrenia) inside Chloé. Therefore, when we combine this episode with the ending, we can easily draw a conclusion that Louis, the man who calls himself Paul's twin brother, is not real, but an imaginary in Chloé's mind.
6. Image of twin brothers. The appearance of this scene once made me mistakenly believe that Paul's brother Louis is also real. However, as the story progresses, the truth is revealed, and this clip is the director's trick, which is intended to strengthen the psychedelic and suspenseful nature of the plot, and indirectly hint at the direction of the ending.
7. Tortoiseshell cat. The director's introduction of this strange cat in the film is also a solid foundation for the "parasitic fetus" proposed at the end, to be precise, it is a good inducement to the audience.
8. At the end of the credits, Chloé smashes the glass. A firm and powerful knock broke the "invisible" barrier. What is the meaning of this behavior? Break the "old me", break with the "old self", and welcome a new life!
These curious and meaningful scenes, objects, and bridges increase the external appeal of the work, which can be said to be infinitely tempting. It is a pity that the ending of the film directly points out the "cause of the disease", which makes the work inevitably fall into the stereotype.
Write at the end. Ozon's latest film, L'amant double, is worthy of being the most daring, suspenseful and most evocative French film of the year.
Director★★★★☆ (The real uncrowned king of the French film industry)
Actors ★★★★★ (French actor Vacth and Belgian actor Renier perform passionately and passionately, playing the ultimate splendor of spirit and flesh)
Plot ★★★☆☆ (The middle part is great, the mood and meaning are profound. The rhythm is slow in the first part, and the ending is old-fashioned in the latter part)
Visual effects ★★★★★ (beautiful)
Sound Effects ★★★★★ (Classical Romanticism + Impressionism + Depression Black)
Recommendation ★★★★☆ (Conscience in the industry, although the ending of the film is not perfect, the overall performance is quite attractive. Highly recommended for psychologists to watch)
More movie reviews and recommendations will be published on the WeChat public account " The Journey of Floyd and Helen ", thank you
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