De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté 

English title: The Beat That My Heart Skipped

Genre: psychological drama

With: Romain Duris (Thomas Seyr), Niels Arestrup (his father Robert), Jonathan Zaccaï (Fabrice), Gilles Cohen (Sami), Aure Atika (Aline), Emmanuelle Devos (Chris[tine]), Linh Dan Pham (Miao Lin), Anton Yakovlev (Minskov), Mélanie Laurent (Minskov's girlfriend)

Director: Jacques Audiard

Screenplay: Jacques Audiard, Tonino Benacquista and James Toback (from Toback’s screenplay for FINGERS, circa 1977)

Release: 2005

Studio: Why Not Productions, France 3 Cinéma et al.

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.5/10

Time To Get On With Your Life

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Story-line: young Thomas is torn between the brutal world of his pushy father (an unscrupulous businessman) and the positive influence of his late mother (a concert pianist).

Pluses: powerhouse performances by a manic Romain Duris (part Mick Jagger, part Alex from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE), the awesome Niels Arestrup and a formidable cast (Jonathan Zaccaï and Mélanie Laurent especially), a screenplay chock full of drama, humour, outrageous events, vivid characters and priceless dialogues, Jacques Audiard’s fast-paced direction, an electrifying score, pleasing cinematography and an invigorating climax.

Minuses: I didn’t fully understand the real estate dealings at issue but this is a very minor complaint.
Comments: DE BATTRE MON COEUR S'EST ARRÊTÉ begins with the poignant monologue of a son taking care of his senile father and keeps you spellbound until the very end. I can’t compare this French remake with the original FINGERS but, on its own, it certainly stands as an eye-opening, hard-hitting and slightly crazy spectacle. You won’t risk a heart attack watching this film but you may experience shortness of breath… yes, Audiard’s work is that strong and vibrant.     

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Viskningar och rop

English title: Cries and Whispers
Also known as: Cris et chuchotements
Genre: psychological drama
With: Ingrid Thulin (Karin), Liv Ullmann (Maria and the Mother), Harriet Andersson (Agnes), Kari Sylwan (Anna), Erland Josephson (the Doctor), Henning Moritzen (Joakim), Georg Årlin (Fredrik), Anders Ek (Isak)
Direction and screenplay: Ingmar Bergman
Release: 1972
Studio: Cinematograph AB, Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI)
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.9/10


Death for One, Rancour for the Rest


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Story-line: the huge house is silent now, except for clocks ticking away as they always have. Agnes wakes up in pain, sees Maria sleeping and goes to write in another room. Agnes, you should know, is nearing death and her two sisters, Karin and Maria, have come over to take care of her with the help of Anna, the faithful maid.
Pluses: a superb cast altogether, expert direction by one of cinema’s greatest auteurs, a very serious screenplay highlighting the fraught relationship between siblings and the crucial but equivocal roles played by Anna and the Doctor, Sven Nykvist's slow and aesthetic camera work (which was honoured at the Oscars) and the production's very striking colour pattern (white dresses, red living room and dark furniture).
Minuses: a warning to movie buffs: although Bergman is often associated with austere dramas – an overgeneralization – this one does confirm his reputation.   
Comments: CRIES AND WHISPERS presents a sombre meditation about death, memories good and bad, family dynamics and hidden feelings… universal themes illustrated here in a schematic, unflinching way. Its main characters are four women – whose personalities range from devoted to heartless – complemented by a few men who have contributed to the women's dissatisfaction with life. Although CRIES AND WHISPERS does merit a very high score, I have found it less involving than other Bergmans (the enthralling WILD STRAWBERRIES, for one) in spite of its immense symbolic and artistic value. It’s a movie masterpiece that elicits admiration but, unfortunately, only moderate sympathy.


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