Torture to sit through


I hated every minute of this pretentious, boring, meandering waste of freakin' time movie! 2.5 HOURS? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I love Marion Cotillard to absolute bits and even though she was brilliant as ever, this was one of the most pointless, badly edited movies I've ever seen in my life. Could the director not have trimmed down the cross-dressing, karaoke rendition of Bonnie Tyler's "I need a Hero"? Or altogether removed the mini unplugged concert?

Uggh...anyway, I look forward to reading about how I didn't "get" this movie at all. Flame on, fellas.

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Thank goodness somebody else sees this movie for what it is. I couldn't even finish it, it was a waste of time. But Marion Cotillard was stunning and acted well. I like Francois cluzet also, and the whole cast was good, the only good thing about the Movie.
The score was just atrociously put together, like, Let's throw all the songs on my playlist on this movie, without any regard to the storyline.
The shots were hit or miss. Some worked, while others just seemed like, I'll just arbitrarily place the camera behind this banister.
I mean, I love films from many different genres and cultures.

I hate to be mean, but this movie was pretentious.

I think its often better to not say anything if you have nothing nice to say, etc. However, Guillaume canet's two films are absolute crap. I don't see what the appeal is. Did you see tell no one? How long and boring can a movie be? and He's nothing compared to a Louis Malle or Luc Besson. There is no originality, and he just rips off other directors.

This is my opinion. I really don't get all the critical acclaim.

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It was ok. Pretty nauseating at times and very OTT at the end.

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i have to agree, i hated this film and its not that i'm not "deep" enough to "get it" (i normally like pretentious french films) it's just that it was dull, dull, utterly dull! for a film like this to work, it need's good characters, which this film lacks, all of them were just to unrealistic and unlikeable for me to give a damn about

you know there is a problem when games are smarter than movies

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Hello Forrest I will not flame on you or say you did not get the film. There is nothing to get. You either connect with it or you don't. I saw this from the start of the film.. how this would not be to everyone's taste.

I loved the film although I agree with you it was very long and some scenes could have been trimmed.

For example the mini unplugged version to me felt right as it was for two reasons.... to see Marion's expressions and change in feelings and for us to grow fond of him.To see how the guy won every one over at the table.


anyway will keep this one short. I can totally see where you are coming from even though I liked the film very much! :)

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Thanks for posting a mature response :)

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I thought I was the only one to find this movie pretentious and boring. Thank you !

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When I first saw the film, I kind of liked it, although I found it boring at times. The storyline that interested me the most was the one with Max and the coming-out of Vincent (which, IMHO, could have sustained a film on its own). The other storylines were weaker, but acting was good and there were some fun moments.

So overall, I had a rather positive impression, and then I thought about it for a few days, and felt like I had been taken hostage by the film and especially the very tearful ending. I mean, everybody was crying in the cinema, and I also shed a tear (which is a highly unlikely thing for me), even if I felt no real sadness for the characters.
I was under the impression I was being forced into feeling bad and it's really not something I like. I mean, some films do it brilliantly, and you don't really notice it. But when you begin to perceive all the mechanisms that try to trap you, I think it's the sign that the movie lacks in quality.

(I kind of experience the same thing while watching Grey's Anatomy, although it has no effect anymore)

I wasn't really convinced by Marion Cotillard, to be honest. She seems to play all her parts the same (God, I'm going to get killed for saying that :D)

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The storyline that interested me the most was the one with Max and the coming-out of Vincent (which, IMHO, could have sustained a film on its own). The other storylines were weaker, but acting was good and there were some fun moments.
Agree completely. The effect of Vincent's revelation and how it played out between the two couples was terrific and Cluzet was especially good as Max. Many lol moments especially when he has the dream of Vincent leaning over him in bed with a weasel on his shoulder is it our age difference that bothers you?
I wasn't really convinced by Marion Cotillard, to be honest. She seems to play all her parts the same (God, I'm going to get killed for saying that :D)
I've only seen her in this and Midnight in Paris and they were very similar characters played with the same affecting facial expressions and gestures. It's hard to know how much this is poor acting or Cotillard providing what the directors request of her.
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The whole hippie-guitar player scene should have been cut, it's useless. The character doesn't bring anything, he plays for too long and only serves to have Cotillard feels like she might not be making the right choices in her life.

I didn't hate the movie, it's not that bad. But I have a whole lot of edits that would bring the movie to under 2 hours and have more meaningful dialogues.

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I see your point - it was far, far too long and whole sequences could have been chopped out without affecting the film at all, which is always a bad sign. The guitar-playing sequence is the best example, I kept waiting for the point of the scene to reveal itself and it never happened. The actual soundtrack was areal weakness, too, way too much angsty sub-Sarah McLachlan warbling overlaying scenes that would have been perfectly effective without.

But actually, despite all that, it worked for me. I objectively found that stuff annoying, but was still so moved by the end and cared enormously about most of these thoroughly self-absorbed people. So have to give Canet a lot of credit for that.

--
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For me, the epsisode with the musician wasn't that bad. He comes as a intruder, we sort of expect tensions with the group and Marion having to choose between him an her friends ... and then he's Mr Nice Guy, everybody likes him, with only the exception of Marion - the one girl he came for. This is a nice little twister in the scene.

But agreed, the scene - albeit nicely done - isn't necessary for the storyline of the film. Nor is the brilliantly shot start sequence, as many have already mentioned here.

The whole film is a collection of such nice little ideas (Max and Vincent stranded on the boat, hilarious!), but the story altogether is not original enough, though the film remains still quite entertaining. I mean, adding all the shortcomings I should be hating this film and apparently I am not. I wouldn't praise it either, that is sure.

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i too will not or nor would i ever insult someones intelligence simply because they dont like the same film i did. i thought it was interesting actually and although not much happens and its a little overlong i liked the fact that i felt it left u with a morale. the accident happens, they still go their holiday, we get their woes, lies unhappiness but ultimately Ludos story underpins it all because i felt it was about the self centeredness (even a word?!) of humanity. i took from even the small scene where Eric visits Ludo and talks about the girl leaving him, and ludo turns away; even when lying there in the state that he was Eric is complaining about his life. The one who thinks the most, cares the most is Jean Louis who appears to have very little in way of financial means or what would be viewed as success to many, yet this group who are made out to be successful, happy, young folk who should be enjoying life simply are wasting it. anyway im sure many will not like this and will disagree with what i took from it but as i always say, thats my opinion.

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I like the film too. Ludo is an interesting element in the film because we never really know him as a character aside from how the others relate to him and speak about him. What you took from the film seems apt. What I would add is that as the film proceeds we see some of the characters beginning to realise what they are doing and making decisions to do otherwise and changing. Perhaps Ludo's absence, as well as his critical condition, acted as a catalyst.

i took from even the small scene where Eric visits Ludo and talks about the girl leaving him, and ludo turns away; even when lying there in the state that he was Eric is complaining about his life.
Nice observation and true.
Why problem make? When you no problem have, you don't want to make ...

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