By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Alain Resnais
Starring: André Dussolier | Anne Consigny | Emanuelle Devos | Mathieu Amalric | Sabine Azéma
Original language title: Les Herbes Folles
Country: france, italy
Year: 2010
Running time: 104
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1156143/
Bruce says: “You have to be a devotee of absurdist comedy to appreciate a film like LES HERBES FOLLES (now re-titled WILD GRASS for English audiences.) Similar in theme to HAPPENSTANCE, the Audrey Tatou vehicle prior to her success with AMELIE, LES HERBES FOLLES examines serendipity from the outside, looking in. LES HERBES FOLLES begins with a shot of the feet of a well heeled woman and a voiceover explaining that these are ‘extraordinary feet that took her where the ordinary don’t go.’ Those feet take their owner to an expensive boutique where she buys another very expensive pair of shoes. Upon leaving the boutique, a gang of rollerblading thieves snatch her handbag and disappear in a flash. Too exhausted to report the theft she plunges into her bath when she returns home.
“Georges (André Dussolier) is a middle aged man who has been married to the same woman (Anne Consigny) for many years. The day after the opening sequence Georges is returning to an underground carpark after getting his watch repaired and discovers a discarded wallet on the floor near his car. He goes to the police station to turn it in but a raucous promotion party turns his good intentions into farce. The inattentive policeman Bernard de Bordeaux (Mathieu Amalric) finally hears Georges out. But Georges is having some sort of midlife crisis and can’t let go of the moment. He begins to fantasize about the owner of the wallet. Finally the viewer gets to meet the owner, Marguerite (Sabine Azéma), a somewhat emotionally unstable dentist and amateur aviatrix. She shares her dental practice with fellow dentist and confidante Josepha (Emanuelle Devos). Georges begins to call and stalk Marguerite who, while appalled is fascinated by the thought that happenstance may be leading her to true love.
“What ensues is difficult to describe and, were I to do so, it would spoil the experience for those who have not seen the film. The policeman threatens Georges. George’s wife becomes suspicious that he is embarking on yet another of his foolish affairs. Josepha is alarmed that she has to take on a double patient load when Marguerite does not show up at the office. Bothe parties to what appears to be the romance of a lifetime are unsure of themselves and that inner tension is evoked through music, exemplary camerawork and nonsensical storytelling involving moments which would hardly happen in real life (after all, this is a fantasy). Resnais (LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD, HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR, PRIVATE FEARS IN PUBLIC PLACES) handles the idiosyncratic tale deftly. I totally agree with a critic who said the cinematic agility of this film seems more likely the work of a 27 year old than an 87 year old. To be frank, this film is not for everyone. From what I can see opinions are almost equally divided into those who hate it and those who love it. Happily, I fall into the latter group. 5 cats
(LES HERBES FOLLES screened at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.)”
Diane says: “A while back Bruce wrote, ‘To be frank, this film is not for everyone. From what I can see opinions are almost equally divided into those who hate it and those who love it, and gave it 5 cats.’ Just to prove his point, I’m giving it 1 cat. This film offered nothing to me. Or should I say, I gleaned nothing from this film. I foolishly, futilely, kept expecting any two things to come together. Bruce, my hat is off to you.”