The most romantic artistic project of this original director!
Added 8/10/2009
Jean Jacques Anaud is a very talented director. Since his debut in 1977 with "Black and white in colors" and his cult movie "The war of fire", we were aware about him. He was the responsible for bringing us the notable cinematographic adaptation of "The name of the rose". That's why one wonders oneself about his unlimited magic. "The lover" is a film based on Marguerite Duras' novel, and portraits the memories of a teenager who meets a Chinese and wealthy dandy. Impacted and dazzled by his elegance and good manners, tired of her problematic familiar nucleus, impoverished by external affairs and wishful to experience new sensations, becomes his mistress.
Although the film is slow-paced, it has intense moments, perhaps due the fact the handle of the narrative time doesn't fit with the time in the cinema. Sometimes reiterative and rhetorical, we will witness the imminent fatality that waits for them when the cultural, economic and social appears as an insurmountable barrier.
An original item among your invaluable collection.
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Beautiful.
Added 7/2/2009
As with the book, this movie is hauntingly beautiful and it is the story of a young school girl with a rocky family life who becomes the lover of an older man. But don't just watch it for the story, watch it because it is filmed so beautiful, and the best way I can decribe it is this; sweaty. I can't recommend this one enough. Also, read the book: The Lover.
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The Lover
Added 5/31/2009
I am most surprised by what some stupid people will write, about a wonderful story. IF it is a true story, I have no idea, but I do remember what it was like being 15 1/2 and being confused by what my body was telling me, and Jane March, did a super job in this movie. "Soft porn"? Well, okay, it has some sex in it, but the story line is so good. It's about a poor trash white girl, who falls in love with a older rich "Chinese" man. She doesn't even realize she is in love, yet she is at the end, yet she STILL can't admit it to her self. He is a rich "Chinese man" who tells her in the beginning that he doesn't want to do this, because he could fall in love with her. Forbidden love is always the best love. Yet, this love is ever lasting. The scenery is beautiful. Awesome photography, beautiful flowing music. At first, I wasn't too sure of this movie, but as I got lost in the story, I was so sorry it ended the way it did. It had no other way of ending! Chinese men with white women, was only for men with whores. White women, with Chinese men, was only for the money. How CAN a movie such as this, end any other way? Even in France, racial mixes such as this weren't allowed. There was no were for this couple to go. She (the girl) couldn't tell even her family the truth, and while he (the Chinese man) tried to tell his Father, he HAD to marry of Chinese decent. What a sad love story. It's so sad, that more people couldn't see that in the USA. Simply a SUPER movie.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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delicious
Added 3/22/2009
This is one of the most delicious movies about sex and coming of age in a long time. Tony Leung is the sexiest human being ever to wear a white linen suit. Duras' novel is faithfully and pain-stakingly honored by the screen play.
Send me down the Mekong river in a fedora and braids, please.
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Tea: Yes, please, and I'll probably have another cup shortly
Added 1/14/2009
Overall, a very enjoyable movie, both story wise and visually.
This is not a 'quickie' movie, get in get out. This story really paints the entire and complete picture of young girl's life and her first sexual encounter and is set back in time in Saigon. I enjoyed the characters and was surprised to find the leading man, more gentler than I would have expected (he's not a guy you'd find in a biker bar).
There were some slow parts, for me, but I understand the desire to tell the whole story. I thought the mix of narration and actually being present in that moment very interesting. They also did a nice job with the sex scenes, though on some I wish they had moved the camera closer to the action or at least gave more hints of it.
The ending was very good. You felt for both of the lovers and their journey of self discovery and growth.
Too bad they didn't make a series...
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racist, sexist, homophobic, porngraphic, abusive to the disabled
Added 9/23/2009
This film is simple terrible and Bruce Willis and Jane March ought to have made a public apology for being ignorant enough to star in a film scripted to offend almost all minorities.
Let's analyze this film using several lens.
1) Race
The only minority character's are given degrading roles. The first racial minority in the script is an Arab taxi driver who gets pleasure out of people suffering in car crashes. He gleefully exclaims that there might be a fatal crash! The scene was embarrassing. Why wasn't the taxi driver Caucasian or better yet not in the film at all? This same scene reflects the writers prejudice attitudes toward different social classes--a repeated theme throughout the film.
Likewise, we are presented with the black cop. Film after film after film we see that the only role for blacks is in the police department. Our black cop is a weak man who will put up with degradation from his Spanish superior because he desperately wants to keep his low end job. He has few ambitions and is portrayed as the rightful minority who is being burdened by competition from a Hispanic rival. In other words, the black is the "good minority" being forced out of his rightful position as dutiful side kick to Willis. We understand that he should really be police chief, but because of the awful Hispanic man he is not. This film creates the dynamic in which oppressed people are scripted to fight among themselves rather than working together for a common good. It is the ultimate in racist portrayal.
If that wasn't stated clearly enough, the police chief is a Hispanic man who is offensive, incompetent, mean, and mischievous. He is the Disney "chihuahua" rerolled for an adult film. He is there for the audience to laugh at. He has few morals--can't get the job done with ethics, and rarely works at all. Willis is shown in numerous scenes doing the job of the police as a psychologist. Willis interviews witnesses and ultimately solves the mystery despite the rude pugnacious help from the Hispanic police chief. I have never seen a modern movie that was this racist before or ridiculous. The police do no work at all and they do not even protect the murder victim before he is murdered. The police allow him to be killed claiming that they cannot possible protect all the therapists who have stalkers. Add another quality to the film--it has an abusive depiction of police officers as being bubbling racial inferior human beings that are apathetic.
2.) Combine racism with sexism and you will get to the next dilemma. Jane March plays a character that looks like she has a mixed racial heritage. She is "not as she seems." Again, we get the racial minority that cannot really be trusted. By the end of the film Willis ultimately saves her from a life of abuse worse than anything we can possibly imagine. It is a filthy rewrite of Pygmalion with Willis as a kind of psychological Henry Higgins who is going to remake the dependent maiden because he is such an awesome guy. Willis is presented to the audience as the only norm. He is white and male and in charge of readopting a group of traumatized people to the norm (white maleness). All the therapists in this film are white males. The film insidiously promotes a type of modern colonization where only a white male is considered normal. Fortunately he is such an awesome man that he is trying to save everyone out of his personal goodness.
3.) Every depiction is pitiful, however, the disabled get the worst portrayal of all. In one seen Willis makes fun of a schizophrenic patient. It is hard to be ignorant enough to find mocking someone with a brain disease socially acceptable. How would Willis feel is if he was someone suffering from a mental illness and watching his film? Again, I cannot believe that anyone would willing read the lines that they are given. All the patients are portrayed awfully. They attack each other in their support group, some are violent, and other intentionally badly behaved. Three are extremely sexually inappropriate and all discourteous to each other and Willis. It does not reflect people who seek counseling and it is an extremely abusive portrayal. The audience is meant to make fun of them, call them names, and degrade them much like the rich in the 1700's would go to the asylum to laugh at the suffering people. It is cruel.
4.) The film is blatantly homophobic. In one scene a bi-sexual sex addict exclaims that she wishes her girlfriend was a man. The film had the opportunity to present homosexual relationships as part of normal human sexual function. It does not. It depicts the lesbian character as extremely sick and sexually depraved. She will sleep with anyone. I do not think that it can be over stated how damaging this film is to women and to homosexuals. In one line the author asserts that a woman could never really actually want to be a lesbian and must really want a man (penis). The lesbian character is only complete if she is in a heterosexual relationship and barring that she is tormented.
The only positive that I see in this film is that Willis takes responsibility for being older than his sex partner and shows concern for her well being with in the movie; he doesn't abandon her as just a sex toy or promote a sexual double standard. However, the reality contradicts the message of the film. The movie is soft core pornography and Willis and March are really having intercourse during the sex scene. Willis is aroused (you will actually see his penis)and the scenes are so graphic and intimate that the two are making love. That was a little bit stunning, but had the movie been worthy of watching it could have been viewed as a kind of political statement questioning contemporary morality. This film is not making any great points--it is just trying to keep your attention by showing Willis pounding on his 21 year old co-star (literally). At the time of release, Willis was 39 years old and 18 years older than the young woman he is making love with. It is questionably ethical. He is an authority figure, but he makes love to this girl all over TV.
The final point I would like to make is that Willis is portrayed as an authority figure. The movie brainwashes young girls into believe that it is safe to engage is sexual relationships with older men who have a much higher status an ability to exercise power than themselves. The relationship model is one in which the male protects the younger woman, bending over backwards to help her. This is extremely troubling because in reality few men are going to live up to the bill and it reasserts patriarchy in a way that could damage impressionable young women. The message can be viewed as such "you need a man and an older man will help you if you are vulnerable". I cannot see how this could ever get 5 stars. I think F sums it up.
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Movie Review
Added 9/11/2009
Great video that I purchased to replace my VHS copy since my vcr died on me. I would definitely buy from this seller again in the future.
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Good thriller with Bruce Willis and an all star cast
Added 8/16/2009
Good psychological thriller that will keep you guessing throughout the movie. Due to some sexual content, probably not a movie for middle schoolers or younger. If you are a fan of Bruce Willis, Jane March, Scott Bakula, or Leslie Ann Warren, it is the film for you!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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