Reviewed by Justin Bateman
Stars Xavier Lafitte, Pilar Lopez de Ayala, Michaël Balerdi,
Laurence Cordier, Tanja Czichy, Gladys Deussner,
Eric Dietrich, Charlotte Dupont, Philippe Ohrel
Written by José Luis Guerin
Certification UK PG
Runtime 90 minutes
Directed by José Luis Guerin
A young man (Lafitte) returns to Strasbourg to look for Sylvie, a girl he met in a bar six years previously. And in terms of the plot, that’s literally all there is to it. But it’s clear from the start that director Guerin is not interested in anything as mundane as a narrative. Once the titles have run their course, the first shot is of Lafitte sitting on a bed with a pencil and pad thinking. He sits and he thinks and he thinks some more. Then, after a good couple of minutes, he scribbles something on his pad.
The next shot, like many throughout the film, is a static one of a street which our protagonist walks into and then out of, followed by numerous other passers-by. This also goes on for several minutes. We then join the young man at a cafe where he sketches women who catch his eye and you begin to wonder if he’s some sort of a voyeur and where all this is going. If this sounds a bit odd, that’s because it is – compared to mainstream films at least. But what it lacks in story, Guerin makes up with technique and style. The lengthy scene at the cafe is filled with exquisitely composed shots which linger for minutes at a time and invite the viewer to explore the whole frame, something you wouldn’t normally be able to do. The sound is another crucial element, with every footstep and bicycle bell amplified, further drawing you into the city and making the experience almost immersive.
With long sections of the film without dialogue or even much hint of a story, this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. But there’s a surprising amount of characterisation, a mesmeric quality to the ‘voyeurism’ and a real feeling that you’re in Strasbourg, all of which go some way to making the film work. It does drag in places and the experimental artiness feels somewhat forced at times, but if you want to try something very (very) different from the usual multiplex fare, this curious and occasionally beautiful piece might just be the ticket.