Evelyne
Brochu
Rising Star
Inch'Allah
Written and Directed by Anais Barbeu-Lavalette.
It is
probably unfair to start by saying Inch'Allah isn't a transcendent story
because it is one that deserves attention regardless, it is above all quite a
decent one - it's reliable and competent. It is elementary and perhaps
sometimes light for the theme at hands, which is the Palestinian conflict, it
isn't exceptional but it is a very authentic portrait of this war, where a
Canadian Doctor sees herself between these two different realities, between
Israel and the other side of the wall. The thing is that these films are brave
from the very beginning. For once, I can't imagine how difficult it must be to
film in locations and how hard it is to bring that authenticity, how hard and
attentive it needs to be the work of the actors. So yes, I really admire the
effort and obviously, these films need all the attention possible and
recognition.
There's
quite an intense dramatic moment in Inch'Allah when the doctor, Chloé, carries
a baby delivered just moments ago in the back seat of a car standing still
between Palestinian and Israeli borders. Evelyne Brochu, playing Chloé, at the
moment she realizes the newborn is dead, it’s like she can’t even breathe. For
moments it’s like she’s suffocating. And so are we.
Frisson des Collines
Directed by Richard Roy, co-written with Michel Michaud.
A coming of
age story, a minor film but nonetheless it does bring some entertaining moments.
Can I identify greatly with the kid, our protagonist? Yes, I sure can. Maybe
except I would be probably a lot worse. He actually played quite cool around
his beautiful teacher and he also didn't took advantage from his sorrow. He is
actually quite a decent kid, and after all, he just wanted to go to Woodstock.
He also made it. He deserved it.
About
Evelyne Brochu - like I said earlier, I would totally fall for the beautiful
teacher like the kid did for some time! Though she's so beautiful it is hard to
keep up with the frames, it's really really hard. Can you believe her face? But
this is not the point; the point is that she looks really good and reliable in
these different times and with different hairstyles and different attitudes and
so on. Given that these two films I'm mentioning couldn't be millions further
away from each other. And I usually love this.
This leads
me to my favorite of the three films I've seen with my recent take on a Francophone
actress.
Cafe de Flore
Written and Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée.
My first
impression of Café de Flore is that I'm not entirely sure what happened and I
don't really know if I believe in its premise, if I'm obviously thinking the
right one at all. Maybe I'm saying I don't believe in coincidences, which why
would I not believe in coincidences? (I need to give it more thought.) But
somehow I was absolutely touched by this film.
The film
grows in you. There's definitely something tangible about the story presented
to us. It is also heartfelt. I just hoped they didn't had to choose to show us
those coincidences, in the credits - the portrait for one and then gives us the plane
explosion (which as I gave the film a second view, the same shot happens in the
beginning, so he had already unveiled something to us).
I get it, or I don't
get it. Do we control or don't we control our lives? Of course we don't and of
course we do. Anything's possible. Perhaps in the bigger extent, we can't
really control it. I think this side is stronger than the other.
Seriously,
it sounds like I'm talking a bit abstract here. The film does bring us a story about
love. We have a mother's love, her resilience, her strength to raise a
mongoloid in the sixties. With a transcendent performance from Vanessa Paradis. The first time I've seen her. And then we have a story of a man who recently
separated from his long companion when he fell completely head over heels in
love with a younger woman. I love the performance of the ex wife Hélène Florent.
That young
woman is played by the beautiful Evelyne Brochu. She does have a rather
ungrateful role, playing the man's younger lover. She barely has a line; she
only comes out, per say, through the last part of the film, when she becomes
the least substantial.
She could
be a bitter character, but Evelyne/Rose is tender and true and not for a bit
annoying in her position. She's lovely and thoughtful. The writer does bring
humanity and consciousness to this young woman, she may be the man's lover but
she's also a person and a vulnerable one.
The
abstract part I was talking about Cafe de Flore is that these two stories from
different places and different times, the mother-son and twenty first century
lovers, are connected. I think it ends up being a good film because it makes
you believe in it. And the thing is, as the days pass, I like the film more and more.
To say or
even to ask how much music is important in this film is beyond the point, the
point being just to talk about it. To think who made the film for once; I
wouldn't be surprised if he had heard the song Cafe de Flore and from here he
wrote the entire story around it, and this would make total sense because it is
also what the film is about. Everything feels pretty in the story, like the songs were made for that exact moment.
The fact is
that as the days pass I like the film more and more. With no surprise, I now
realize Cafe de Flore reminds me of Evelyne Brochu and like in the film, it
feels so fucking good and reassuring. Like anything's possible. The last part
is not quite true though.
Stunning, gorgeous women. The man was really lucky.
It’s the
confirmation of a Rising Star. Evelyne Brochu.
Ah! How could I have finished this post without mentioning Evelyne will be starring in the new film by Xavier Dolan - Tom a la Ferme. Where she'll be playing, I heard, the lighter and 'optimistic' character from the highly disturbing storytelling. Now I'm really looking forward to see this film.
This could have been a post called the good old Crush on Her!
No comments:
Post a Comment