Movie Review: Alice and Martin

Story: The French! There is so much to say about the French but I don't want to digress too much so I will try to stick to the review. Director Andre Techine (Ma Saison Preferee, Thieves, Wild Reeds) is a genius-in-waiting. His films are made in a narrative style with brilliant editing, beautiful imagery and wonderful scenery. Alice and Martin share all of this but after the first riveting hour the film falls apart with disappointing old hat (berets) plots, Tennessee Williams type family dysfunction and generally a 'who cares what happens to them anyway?' attitude by this audience member. The story begins with Martin, an illegitimate (we find this out later) ten year old, who is living happily with his mother, being sent to live with his biological father. Fast forward ten years, where Martin is seen bolting from his home, scavenges the countryside, gets arrested, moves to Paris to live with his gay brother and platonic roommate, Alice, falls in love, gets famous, gets depressed, movie falls apart. We get lots of nice travel scenery, self destructive love (oh those French), angst, confession, purification, yada, yada, yada. The film rambles, moves back and forth in time and makes the viewer do some work. I do not mind doing the work, but I want some resolution for my efforts. This film misses the mark.

Acting: Juliette Binoche is always astounding (Unbearable Lightness of Being, The English Patient and many other wonderful films) is always astounding. She is beautiful, talented, soulful and a joy to watch. Everyone else hits their mark. The story is the problem here.

Pets: One cat (seen too briefly),

Visual Art: Don't remember any.

Soundtrack: Fits the mood.

Theater Audience: Two other people. Nothing about them stuck out as weird for a change.

Oscar Worthy: No

Nit Picking Quotient: General French stuff

Length: 3 minutes over the LOBO 2 hour rule. Seemed longer.

LOBO HOWLS: 5