Simply Perfect

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Powerful

People are voting emotionally.

Claire Denis uses close-ups better than anybody since Sergio Leone. Agnes Godard is amazing. A Denis film almost always has a human warmth few other filmmakers achieve with their films, even if it's their intention to do so. All these qualities are present in "Vendredi soir", yet I felt it was significantly weaker than the three Denis films I had already seen: "Chocolat", "Nenette et Boni", and "Trouble Every Day". It's not that the film is 'slight' or that it doesn't have much narrative drive that bothered me, either, but that it never took on the sort of gravity I thought it should have. Moreover, the film falls apart toward the end, when it should have come together. The opening stages of the film, with Godard's camera taking us through Paris were absolutely gorgeous, the first few scenes after the two main characters meet were great, especially the brilliant impressionistic montage after Jean unexpectedly takes over driving Laure's car (accompanied by a Hitchcockian musical score), but when they actually get together and have sex the film just falls apart. Here's a film which is technically brilliant (direction, cinematography, acting, Dickon Hinchliffe's great debut score), formally interesting, but which just doesn't have enough in it to justify even its short length.

This movie is good.The concept is simple, two strangers meet up by chance, and fall in love. However unlike the love films we are accustomed to, this film, ends on a somewhat positive yet open note.There is mostly quiet movie, but like the Japanese film Dolls (which I reviewed just a few minutes ago) the lack of dialogue works. This is a movie about love and just a night together in both the crowded and deserted parts of the city (which are deserted because of the congestion). The main point of the movie is what the stars are doing, sitting in the car together, meeting up again, eating together, sleeping together, and just getting along and being friends and lovers.The movie is also well shot with some nice shots of Paris and and appealing looking hotel and restaurant.9 out of 10.

By Claire Denis' standards, this film is a little slight. Which is not to say that it isn't great, but considering she is one of the greatest filmmakers working today (in my opinion of course), anything less than a flat-out masterpiece (as is the case with "Beau travail", "Trouble Every Day", and "L'Intrus") has to be considered a lesser effort from her. The visuals here are as ravishingly beautiful as anything she has ever done (or anything else by anyone I've seen for that matter), but the story (to the extent there is one) is a bit thin to support them. I'm always a fan of minimal plot, but this felt a little empty and sort of contrived. I could have also done without the occasional moments of magical realism that threatened to push the film uncomfortably toward cutesy, whimsical "Amelie" territory. The somewhat over-embellishing music didn't help in this respect either. In many other respects, this film comes as close to perfectly epitomizing what i look for in a film as anything I have seen (elliptical plot, minimal dialogue, endless moody shots of blurry florescent lights through windshields!). I wish all the perfect film-making had been applied to a more substantial narrative though. I like that the film strips the story down to it's barest essentials, but the story itself feels slightly trivial and flimsy.

This movie gets a lot of unjust criticism. People watch this movie expecting some kind of action-filled plot sequence, but this movie is made to convey a feeling; it conveys emotion and does so beautifully. This film conveys lust and some other emotions that don't even have names well, and it can only be known once it has been seen. Don't watch this movie looking for a twisting plot, just look at it as a piece of work that will make you feel... not think. I recommend turning off subtitles and listening to the french. Even if you don't speak it, the words are not important. What's important is that you leave your heart open for emotional stimulation.