Danse avec lui (2007) - film review

The day after she learns that her partner, Miguel, has been having a clandestine affair with another woman, Alexandra suffers a near-fatal accident whilst horse-riding.  As the young woman is rushed to hospital in a state of paralysis, Miguel is killed in a road accident.  Three years later, Alexandra is still trying to come to terms with these two tragic events in her life.  A chance meeting with an old horse trainer rekindles her love of horses and slowly allows her to regain her zest for life...

Valérie Guignabodet’s third film makes a startling contrast with her previous comedies Monique (2002) and Mariages! (2004), a sombre portrayal of a fragile young woman struggling to rebuild her life after a devastating accident.  The physical wounds may have long healed, but the emotional scars remain, and it is through that inexplicable bond of understanding between man and horse that the film’s heroine manages to rid herself of the anguish of her past.

Danse avec lui ought to be an intensely moving film, but somehow it fails to hit the mark.  Even with actors of the calibre of Mathilde Seigner and Sami Frey, the film is lacking in emotional force and, at times, feels more like an uninspired documentary about dressage than a piece of drama.  This is not to say that the film is lacking in artistic merit.  The sequences in which Alexandra slowly regains her love of horses are beautiful handled and far more meaningful than the unconvincing romance between Alexandra and her horse teacher (Sami Frey). 

By contrast, the opening passage, in which Alexandra’s world implodes in a maelstrom of cliché and plot contrivance, is an instant turn off.  After this, the film does get much better, but weaknesses in both the writing and direction prevent it from having anything like the impact it deserves.  The one thing that does come across is Guignabodet’s immense passion for all things equestrian.  Whilst the film may be lukewarm in its treatment of human relationships, it succeeds magnificently in its portrayal of the horse as one of the most beautiful and majestic of nature’s creations.

© James Travers 2010

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