| |
 |
|
|
Movies Forum Index » Movie Reviews Forum » Review: Dreamers, The (2003)
Page 1 of 1
|
| Author |
Message |
| Laura Clifford |
 Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2003 4:29 pm |
|
|
|
Guest
|
THE DREAMERS
------------
Bernardo Bertulucci's tale of the friendship between an American cinephile,
Matthew (Michael Pitt, "Murder by Numbers") and movie mad French twins Isabelle
(newcomer Eva Green) and Theo (Louis Garrel) begins with the event that many
consider the beginning of the student riots of '68 in Paris - the firing of
Henri Langlois, director of the Cinematheque Française. 'Only the French would
have a cinema inside a palace,' observes Matthew (a questionable sentiment
considering that the U.S. built 'movie palaces'). Love of cinema is
beautifully stated as Bertolucci shows Pitt crowded amongst other young people,
the black and white images of a Nicholas Ray film flickering over their rapt
faces. Matthew joins the crowds protesting Langlois's removal (a protest that
proved successful - he was reinstated) and is struck by a young woman who has
chained herself to a fence, looking like one of his screen idols.
Isabelle latches on to the young American and invites him home for dinner with
their parents, George (Robin Renucci), a well known author and Bohemian
intellectual mother (Anna Chancellor, "What a Girl Wants"). When George
challenges Matthew for not listening to his ramblings, Matthew turns tables,
giving a witty discourse on the cosmic harmony of his cigarette lighter with
the patterns of their tablecloth, cementing his reputation with the twins.
Their parents departing for the country for the entire summer, Isabelle and
Theo invite Matthew to quit his shabby hotel and move in with them. Matthew is
overwhelmed.
The straight arrow American is thrown off guard immediately with the twin's
casual regard for nudity, sharing the bathroom, and even more alarmingly, their
bed. Simple games of cinema trivia take a bizarre 'truth or dare' twist, when
Theo fails Isabelle's challenge and she doles out a 'punishment' of
masturbation, which Theo dutifully fulfills. Matthew is put on the spot when
Theo demands that he sleep with his sister, which Matthew does, on the kitchen
floor while Theo fries eggs. Soon the threesome are sharing baths, but the
decadent lifestyle and borderline incestuousness of the twins' relationship
forces Matthew to attempt to restore some kind of order. He asks Isabelle out
on a date.
"The Dreamers" shown at the San Sebastian film festival was, of course, the
original version, which will be cut by some 2-3 minutes for its American
release. The attendant hoopla this is sure to attract will be good publicity
for a rather stupid film which will lose little attaining its 'R' rating. "The
Dreamers" must be given credit for its homage to cinema, which is quite
masterfully accomplished, with finely tuned editing by Jacopo Quadri. Isabelle
throws down a challenge that the trio best the 9 minute record of running
through the Louvre accomplished in Godard's "Bande A Part," and as they do the
film intercuts the earlier race being duplicated. Then Isabelle and Theo chant
the line from Browning's "Freaks," 'We accept him,' all the way home. In a
visually witty bit, Isabelle swoons about Matthew's bedroom in tandem with
Garbo in "Queen Christina." Garbo's rapturous grasping of a phallic bedpost is
hilarious in the new montage.
The film's problem is that its French twins are simply unlikable, the spoiled,
self-obsessed children of wealthy intellectuals who live in irresponsible
squalor. The '68 riot backdrop is completely absent through the main section
of the film, where the three cavort in an apartment that may as well be
hermetically sealed from the world. (When the riots are introduced at the
film's end, they only serve as a fashionable bandwagon for Isabelle and Theo to
jump upon.) It's odd that in Bertolucci's return to 'French' cinema, it is
only the American character that has any smarts! (This is further delineated
by the sides Matthew takes against Theo debating the merits of Keaton vs.
Chaplin and Hendrix vs. Clapton.)
Michael Pitt seems like a substitute for Leonardo DiCaprio in this film.
Looking like James Dean crossed with McCauley Kulkin, Pitt softly mumbles his
way through. Green has a vivacious quality and Garrel spins an appropriate
brood, but the two are saddled with characters who act years younger than their
age. Jean Rabasse's production design is the true star of the film. The
fabulous layout of the Parisian apartment, where characters can gaze upon each
other from rooms separated by an interior courtyard, is more fabulous than its
inhabitants.
Brilliantly referenced cinema history paired with a ridiculous central story
make "The Dreamers" a wash. C
For more Reeling reviews visit http://www.reelingreviews.com
==========
X-RAMR-ID: 36035
X-Language: en
X-RT-ReviewID: 1206797
X-RT-TitleID: 10001479
X-RT-SourceID: 386
X-RT-AuthorID: 1487
X-RT-RatingText: C |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
| |
|
Page 1 of 1
All times are GMT - 5 Hours
The time now is Sun Oct 12, 2008 9:08 am
|
|