A Tale of Love and Desire
(Une histoire d’amour et de désir)
I really enjoyed this beautiful, romantic film with its cultural diversity of the two main subjects and I am happy it was was chosen for VIFF 2021
Directed and written by the young Leyla Bouzid “Barely I open my Eyes” it is extremely well done! The 2 main lovers who are both lesser known actors are outstanding in this film.
Ahmed, a bright yet introverted young student, from the Paris Muslim projects, secures a spot at the elite university La Sorbonne to study Comparative Literature. At his first class he finds himself extremely attracted to Farah, an outgoing, fun loving, young woman from Tunisia who has been sent by her wealthier parents to study literature at La Sorbonne.
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Their course requires studying ancient Arab Poetry which has a history of quite bold eroticism for its time. This forms the basis of how they go about growing their relationship which is awkward because of their different cultural values, personalities and upbringing.
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Ahmed cannot even speak or read Arabic, as his father escaping Algeria, has brought him up this way, to integrate into French society. Yet he is influenced more by his peers who live in the projects and follow traditional Arab values.
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Ironically it is his father who was a journalist and studied the same poetry, prior to escaping from Algiers, who transforms Ahmed.
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I would recommend this film for its unique approach to an often misunderstood view of cultural differences, based on where and how one is brought up
Bone Marrow
While watching this film I thought why does the style remind me of an earlier Iranian film? I discovered that Director Hamid Reza Ghorbani had worked as a Second Unit Director on “Separation”
This is Ghorbani’s second main feature and together with Ali Zarnegar, who has had multiple writing nominations to his credit, it seems they have created another Iranian winner
The story revolves around Bahar whose son has leukemia, and is terminally ill with little chance of treatments improving his condition. There is a slight possibility of a cell match requiring a fresh umbilical cord from the child’s birth parents. Hence another child from both parents.
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However the issue is that she is no longer married to the father, but to a new husband, Hossein, who cares deeply for his adopted son. This creates a difficult situation in Iran with both legal marriage complications, and stringent medical requirements.
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Bahar will need to divorce Hossein and obtain agreement from her ex, who is in prison, and mentally unstable.
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The film centres around how to get all of this done in order to save her child
With strong acting and excellent pacing, the film is engrossing and entertaining
Bye Bye Morons
Best film, Best director, Best screenplay, Cesar 2021
Directed by Albert Dupontel, who also wrote the screenplay and acts in the movie, this is a dark comedic drama
It is filled with overtones of political satire, crazy situations, romance, sadness and depression, and failed suicides. It also makes a statement against technology, police brutality, bureaucracy, and social programs that leave out the elderly and disabled
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It may be that it was intended to offer something light and funny, which is what everyone needs, as we hopefully enter the last stages of Covid 19?
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All in all it is very fast paced and will entertain
Some trivia about the film.
The movie is dedicated to Terry Jones, former Monty Python member who died in January 2020. He had played in two of Albert Dupontel’s movies. Incidentally, another former Monty Python member plays in the present movie: Terry Gilliam. If you do get a chance to see this film , can you guess what role he played in?
