MovieChat Forums > Forever (2007) Discussion > Did anyone else think . . .

Did anyone else think . . .

posted 13 years ago by the sphynx
1 reply | jump to latest

that the Chopin-loving Japanese pianist got WAY too much time in this movie, and the articulate, thoughtful cemetery tour guide Bertrand Beyern WAY too little? After his moving discussions of forgotten poet Elisa Mercoeur and forgotten singer Danielle Messia, and premonition about his life at the age of fifteen, I could have listened to him all day. I wanted to reach for the fast forward every time Kimura came on screen for another endless take. There was nothing wrong with her playing, but it could easily have been used as the soundtrack for more visuals of the cemetery.

I was also disappointed that they never got around to Balzac's grave. But that's me.

[–] DrGerbil 12 years ago

I agree with you 100%. I thought this movie was a huge disappointment. The choices made by Ms. Honigmann in terms of editing are inexplicable to me. The Japanese lady's time should have been cut down by half. The material on Marcel Proust should have been cut down by more than half.

I agree also that Bertrand Beyern was outstanding; I am guessing that the director didn't want her film to look like a guided tour by this man, which I understand. However, I would have actually preferred that. He's extremely knowledgeable, well-spoken, and I learned a lot from him.

I watched the interview with the director on the DVD extras. Unfortunately, listening to Ms. Honigmann is like watching paint dry.

This movie could have been brilliant; instead it was lukewarm and veering dangerously close to boring.