Ki lo sa? (1985) - film review

Dada, a solitary thirty-something, maintains the vast gardens of a once grand house in Marselles.  He recalls the happy childhood he spent in the gardens with the children who lived in the area.  Before separating, the childhood friends fixed a date in the future when they would all return to the gardens.  The date comes and only three of Dada’s former friends honour the appointment.  There is Marie, who regrets having to exploit her boyfriend’s generosity, selling the gifts he gives her for ready cash.  There is Gitan, an unemployed bachelor who finds it impossible to hold down a job.  And there is Pierre, a struggling writer with some talent but no luck.  At first the reunion is a happy one.  But then, as they reflect on the emptiness of their lives, the mood of the four friends turns increasingly sombre…

In contrast to Robert Guédiguian’s later works, Ki lo sa? is a surprisingly dark and mystical work, one in which existentialist concerns are interwoven with black comedy and social realism.   The director is better known for portraying the sunnier side of life, showing us how ordinary people make the best of their lot.  But here we see four individuals who, when confronted with their personal failings, decide that life is too painful to endure and so opt for the nearest exit.   Although the drama is played out with great poetry and insight, this is an artificially bleak view of life, and certainly the film is less likable, less coherent than Guédiguian’s subsequent films.   That said, the exemplary acting (notably from the brilliant Jean-Pierre Darroussin) and some truly evocative cinematography make this a respectable, if not to say bizarre, entry in the distinctive Guédiguian canon.

© James Travers 2004

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