Slightly disappointed...


As a film it was visually breathtaking, no doubt, but the story was not as strong as I was expecting. The main character's defeatist attitude was a huge turn-off for me, and as the movie progresses, revealing his backstory, you hardly feel any sympathy for his actions. (That said, he is probably the only one of the main characters that even comes close to being sympathetic)

In a year of high-profile, well-received French releases (The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Intouchables, Cafe De Flore, Rebellion) this unfortunately looks destined to be overlooked.

-Goodnight, mother of six!
-Goodnight, father of two!

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I agree. The woman who is the great love of the violinist -- her attitude made no sense. Did she remember him or did she not? And was this a love story or a parody? humorous or tragic? I felt the film couldn't decide what it was going to be, so despite some really lovely bits, it ended up being none of the above.

I haven't read the graphic novel this is an adaptation of, so I have no idea which is better.

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[deleted]

(Nasser Ali's daughter, whose personality (& melancholy) is very much alike to his, also shares a rather similar fate/end)


I thought this was just Nasser Ali's vision of what would become of his daughter, not meant to be taken literally (the same with his son).







"And all the pieces matter" (The Wire)

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[deleted]

Since you mention the 'narrator,' who exactly is he? I thought maybe it was the angel of Death.






"And all the pieces matter" (The Wire)

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[deleted]

From her reaction after she turns the corner she clearly remembers him, but is just choosing to deal with the situation in this way.

As a rule when you mix genres in a movie you're in trouble. --William Goldman

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Following spoilers explain the difference between the book and the movie.

In the book, Irane genuinely does not remember him at the moment, the exact conversation happens. It's like she's moved on with her life quite well. Unlike the movie, doesn't remember him at all in her daily life, it's all a story in the past to her. After their departure on the street she walks a few steps and then it hits her, she remembers in shock and says "Nasser Ali" in excitement. Nasser Ali hasn't been that successful with moving on, he still dreams about her so he is very disappointed at her and decides to die. The tar (he doesn't play the violin as in the movie, he plays the tar) is merely an instrument that provides the flow of his feelings to the world that revolves around him.

However, in the movie Irane pretends not to remember him and she thinks about him in her daily life, too. I think, what makes her pretend is that she knows he is married (after all he's the most famous violinist of his time) and she's quite aware that they cannot be together again so she sees no reason to talk to him because re-finding themselves together will only bring more pain, what's gone is gone and there's no point in turning back, everything's different now. Hers is just a decision of logic, not the heart. Nasser Ali thinks as the same as he does in the book and again decides to die for the same reason.

Either in the book or in the movie, the instrument is just the representation of his love of Irane. If he hadn't met Irane on the street or she had recognized him, he'd be content (not as happy but content) with his new violin hoping Irane is somewhere out there thinking of him like he does. After the incident on the street, his hopes are crashed just like the violin. The instrument is gone forever, Irane is gone forever, then why live?

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well said aycaaltay..
I agree.

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