This film is directed by Yann Samuell, starring Guillaume Canet and Marion Cotillard. French love films kind of always have that surreal yet poignant quality about them. It's like they all have a little bit of Amélie in them. This film... sigh. I don't know. I wanted to love it very badly but, in the end I'm not so sure.
It's altogether a very cliché storyline: two gorgeous leads fall in love, get separated, then reunited. And they both play their roles very well. What I really didn't like, and I suppose is just me, is how selfish the lovers are. I suppose one could say, "it shows that love overpowers everything" and yeah, it really does. The film shows that it overpowers loyalty, commitment, respect, consideration, etc, etc. Honestly I'm quite sure I'm only one of the few who feel this way. Two lovers who very willingly ditch their respective families, kids and all, to be together. Not considering anything else they commit suicide together -- a bit too unrealistic on the whole for me. The beginning was lovely, I loved the beginning, but towards the end, after their 10 year break, I was sure that I wasn't going to love that.
I couldn't stand the idea that just for these two to be together, so many others got hurt. Am I being a prude? Maybe. But it was heartbreaking to watch for me, even though it had a happy ending. The other thing I hated was that the supposed outcome, where they embrace in a construction pit about to be filled with cement, is really twisted and macabre. Ugh is there something beautiful about that? Lovers ending their lives together so as to have an "eternal" love... no.
Disturbingly selfish, the film is so wrapped up in the two that it completely alienates the consequences of their actions. So, of course, one's opinion can justifiably be that the focus is on the two, how their love for each other is so strong, it's "better than life" (to quote the film). But my opinion is that it's a clear indication of how sometimes, in a bad way, love makes you do the stupidest things. I won't say it's unrealistic because I'm certain there are people who genuinely behave like this in the real world: love makes them void of responsibilities, commitments, love for others who rightly deserve it. That's what I saw in the film anyway. To me, I think that's wrong. To have the love of your life is, essentially, a selfish desire. And we shouldn't live our lives putting ourselves above others. Or at the very least, we shouldn't do it with such disregard, such carelessness. That is why divorce is not natural, people were not meant to be separated. But the good thing about divorce, of course, is it lets you "follow your heart" in, at least, a semi-respectable way.
I wouldn't say I hated it, but I definitely didn't like it. I guess it's one of those films: love it or hate it. Aside from my scruples conflicting with the plot, it was a decent show. Actors were brilliant, especially Marion Cotillard. She's very good. It's difficult for me to be totally objective because I feel a lot after watching it. But, of course, what I said is merely my opinion and everyone is free to develop their own.
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