I'm Still Here!

Hey everyone!
Someone seems to have locked my imagination away ina dark cellar and forced it to do homework for a fortnight, because (as you've probably noticed) I haven't posted for a while. But fear not! Half Term's on its way, which means an alleviation (Gotta stop using these big words) of the homework, and more time for me to do stuff I enjoy, including writing for you! Anyway, in the meantime, I had to watch a movie for French and review it, and whilst it seems very unlikely that I'll be able to translate my review into French (you know what they're like!), it has provided me with some unexpected blog content. And for once, I wouldn't reccomend you see this movie. I'm assuming everyone here is of the group who have seen any or all of Star Trek, District 9 and the recently-released Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus which got really bad write-ups - Shame, 'cause the trailer looked brilliant. I can deduce that because anyone from the "cool" demographic would be out getting drunk with their homies... or something. Not reading this, that's for sure.

I know. I'm waffling again. The point is, those who follow this will not enjoy the movie, but those who like period dramas (They're dramas. Period.) probably will. I'll stop rambling and cue the review (Hey, that rhymes...)

Today I finished watching a French movie, Jean de Florette. It’s not quite as action-packed as I’m used to, and considering the last film I saw was District 9, seemed generally quite pathetic. However, after enduring an hour or so of preamble (Like the start of Iron Man, only longer… And they were building a farm, instead of a super-advanced battlesuit… And there were no terrorists… But other than that…), my weak mind succumbed to whatever Jedi mind trick they were pulling, and I actually started to find myself rooting for that poor guy and his family. And there was an explosion, I guess. That’s better than nothing.
So, let’s get to the heart of the matter. Plot-wise, The first half was fairly intriguing, and it had the potential to cultivate so many other ideas – The war, for example. That creepy chap from the start (the names weren’t very memorable) just came back from a military campaign – and it seems it hasn’t affected him at all! Surely a phobia of blood could be worked in there, or a greater explanation of his guilty conscience? Then there’s the flowers – this motif could have been used a lot more without a loss of plot, I’m sure. Clear proof that you should never send a Berri to do an Almodóvar’s job. About halfway through, the story became a lot more predictable – Inevitably it was all going to go wrong, and inevitably someone would die somehow, and inevitably the necklace would be fake, etc… On the whole, however, Claude Berri is not to blame for this as much as Marcel Pagnol, who wrote the book on which this movie is based. Besides, book-film adaptations are a debate for another day.
Cast-wise, I didn’t explicitly recognise any of the actors or actresses, although Depardieu does ring a faint bell somewhere in the back of my mind. Regardless of their renown, I felt all were well-suited to their roles, and all were comfortable playing their respective characters, unlike some other cringe-fests I’ve witnessed (Twilight, anyone?). Incidentally, Gerard Depardieu sometimes bears a disturbing likeness to Mark Gatiss, although that’s probably just a coincidence… Particularly, I liked Daniel Auteuil as the creepy chap (his name is Ugolin, the blurb on the back of the box informs me); he was very good at getting me not to like him, which is a good thing in a villain. I found myself constantly making comparisons between him and Mackenzie Crook from Pirates. Minus the glass eye, of course!
At about this point, I would usually talk about the special effects of a movie, although generally speaking there are none in Jean de Florette, minus the aforementioned explosion. But considering the film was a creation of 1986, we’ll let it off the hook and move right on to the soundtrack. As in most pre-90s movies (or at least, this is what I find) the music was relatively sparse, which I guess could be deliberate, but it did feel quite awkward in long periods of silence. What soundtrack there was, however, was not bad. Particularly, I liked the music where he was describing his plans for a well – It’s no Star Wars, but considering soundtrack has only recently managed to untangle itself from the genres it draws on to become one in its own right, this film does well. Not significantly so, but it does well.
Setting is evidently important to Jean de Florette, and it is generally well-presented. The houses are undoubtedly Provence, and the constant chirping of the cicadas, whilst quite off-putting (Was that the phone…?) help to reaffirm this setting. I did feel, however, that the film was a little too confined. It was limited to the two houses, their surrounding fields, and a few short trips to town. And maybe that’s deliberate, but I got the feeling it just wanted to spread itself out a little more. Maybe a flashback or two of Jean’s family in the city, or even just a couple of overhead shots, just to reassure viewers that there is still an outside world.
Ultimately, I can’t make up my mind whether this really is a good movie or not. For its time and budget, it has certainly done well, but in a modern context I do feel slightly underwhelmed. If nothing else, the fact that I kept watching is worth some credit, although that may just have been out of a Truman Show-esque desire to know what happens after all. I wouldn’t watch it again, but I have a hunch (hehehe…) that anyone into period dramas like Cranford and its various wannabes where everyone wears hats, Jean de Florette should be right up your street!

Well, that was a gap-fill and a half. I really don't know what else to say, other than that "You must gather your party before venturing forth." Hehehe, that's such a random quote. It's a KotOR reference, for those still wondering. Don't ask. Really don't.

See ya 'round!

Jack