Water Drops on Burning Rocks (1999)
(Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes)
Country: FR/JAP
Technical: col 85m
Director: François Ozon
Cast: Bernard Giraudeau, Malik Zidi, Ludivine Sagnier, Anna Thomson
Synopsis:
An innocent student becomes the lover/househusband of a handsome, middle-aged, bisexual insurance salesman and struggles to deal with the latter's selfishness and irritability. When his young fiancée comes to reclaim him, she instead finds herself a willing pawn in a vicious powerplay. Then the salesman's trans-sexual ex-lover turns up and triangle becomes quadrangle...
Review:
Adapted from an unfilmed Fassbinder script, the German setting is all but irrelevant since we never stray from the flat. Ozon's camera responds imaginatively to this challenge, favouring close-ups and then theatrical long shots. It is the action that kills it, not camped up enough to be funny, not eventful enough to be dramatic. What's left is Giraudeau's enjoyable performance against type, and the knowing sensibility behind the lens: sexy but not exploitative, respectful homage with Almodóvar trimmings.
(Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes)
Country: FR/JAP
Technical: col 85m
Director: François Ozon
Cast: Bernard Giraudeau, Malik Zidi, Ludivine Sagnier, Anna Thomson
Synopsis:
An innocent student becomes the lover/househusband of a handsome, middle-aged, bisexual insurance salesman and struggles to deal with the latter's selfishness and irritability. When his young fiancée comes to reclaim him, she instead finds herself a willing pawn in a vicious powerplay. Then the salesman's trans-sexual ex-lover turns up and triangle becomes quadrangle...
Review:
Adapted from an unfilmed Fassbinder script, the German setting is all but irrelevant since we never stray from the flat. Ozon's camera responds imaginatively to this challenge, favouring close-ups and then theatrical long shots. It is the action that kills it, not camped up enough to be funny, not eventful enough to be dramatic. What's left is Giraudeau's enjoyable performance against type, and the knowing sensibility behind the lens: sexy but not exploitative, respectful homage with Almodóvar trimmings.
(Gouttes d'eau sur pierres brûlantes)
Country: FR/JAP
Technical: col 85m
Director: François Ozon
Cast: Bernard Giraudeau, Malik Zidi, Ludivine Sagnier, Anna Thomson
Synopsis:
An innocent student becomes the lover/househusband of a handsome, middle-aged, bisexual insurance salesman and struggles to deal with the latter's selfishness and irritability. When his young fiancée comes to reclaim him, she instead finds herself a willing pawn in a vicious powerplay. Then the salesman's trans-sexual ex-lover turns up and triangle becomes quadrangle...
Review:
Adapted from an unfilmed Fassbinder script, the German setting is all but irrelevant since we never stray from the flat. Ozon's camera responds imaginatively to this challenge, favouring close-ups and then theatrical long shots. It is the action that kills it, not camped up enough to be funny, not eventful enough to be dramatic. What's left is Giraudeau's enjoyable performance against type, and the knowing sensibility behind the lens: sexy but not exploitative, respectful homage with Almodóvar trimmings.