Having purchased the tickets for the French Film Festival way in advance means that I’m not 100% sure of what movies that I’ve selected and the reason for choosing them. Today is an example – I had no idea what Love Me No More (Deux jours à tuer) was all about when I rocked up to the cinema. Doing so can be so rewarding – which in this case was really true. Deux jours à tuer is the best French movie out of the three movies that I have seen so far.
The story is about Antoine who seems to snap on his 42nd birthday – he’s tired with his career, with his family, and with his friends. On the day when he’s supposed to celebrate his life, he is combative against everybody who he loves. He criticises the shallowness of his wealthy friends and even pushes his wife Cécile and children away. He sells his shares at the company and visits his father in Ireland, who left him and his mother on his 13th birthday. At the end of the movie, we learn that things aren’t what they seem to be …
This movie deals with a lot of emotions – I was immersed in it fully and felt the anger when Antoine acted like a jerk towards his family and friends. I also shared his loathing when he made sarcastic comments about his friends. The scenes when he seem to be so tired with his life echo the dull feeling that I have started to feel about my life. Is this all there is to it? His sentiment is also similar to mine – I get so cynical when I see well-dressed and rich eastern-suburb executives who turn up to gala dinners to donate to “the needies” and feel self-righteous that they’ve done their bit for the poor. The poor, unfortunate and downtrodden have become the human zoo for the rich thesedays, just so that the wealthy ones can feel better about themselves.
Albert Dupontel is well-casted to play Antoine – somebody who’s so antagonistic but you can’t help liking him underneath the bravado and the obnoxious attitude. I’m also charmed by Marie-Josée Croze who plays Cécile – a beautiful lady who’s brokenhearted about her husband but tries to remain strong.
I really enjoy this movie a lot and when the credit rolled up, I wished that it had been longer. If it’s played in one of the theatres around where you live, go and see it. There was also a powerful poem at the end of the movie – does anybody know where I can get it as well as the English translation? That will be much appreciated!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Whk0baCxic
Rating:
With the big potentiality the writer of the movie and the book of Deux jour a tuer; François d’Epenoux.
How long …
How much longer
Years, days, hours, how many?
When I think, my heart beats so hard …
My country that’s life.
How long …
How?
I love her so much, the time remaining …
I want to laugh, run, cry, talk,
And see, and believe
And drink, dance,
Scream, eat, swim, jump, disobeying
I have not finished, I have not finished
Fly, sing, party, leave
Suffering, love
I love both the time remaining
I do not know where I was born, or when
I know that not long ago …
And my country that’s life
I also know that my father said:
Time is like your bread …
Guards in tomorrow …
I still work
More time, but how?
I want to play again …
I want to laugh in the mountains of laughter,
I want to cry floods of tears,
I want to drink boatloads of wine
Bordeaux and Italy
And dance, scream, fly, swim in the oceans
I have not finished, I have not finished
I want to sing
I refer to the end of my voice …
I love her so much time left …
How long …
How much longer?
Years, days, hours, how many?
I want stories, travel …
I have so many people to see, so many images ..
Children, women, great men,
Small men, funny, and sad,
Of very intelligent and cons,
It’s funny, it is the cons,
It is like the foliage in the midst of roses …
How long …
How much longer?
Years, days, hours, how many?
I do not care my love …
When the music stops, I will dance again …
When the planes do not fly, I’ll fly alone …
When time stops ..
I still love you
I do not know where, I do not know how …
But I still love you …
Okay?
Wow – thank you, Sarah Louise! Much appreciated! 🙂
For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about – here’s the original poem …
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIRb0vtMemA