Film Review
Director Claude Zidi is best known for his mainstream comedies -
shameless audience-grabbers such as
Astérix et Obélix contre
César (1999) and
L'Aile ou la Cuisse (1976), and
more sophisticated rib-ticklers like
Les Ripoux (1984) and
Ripoux contre ripoux (1990).
With most of his films attracting audiences in excess of two million
spectators, Zidi is one of France's most commercially successful
filmmakers, and no one could ever mistake him for a great auteur.
It is regrettable that his one attempt at a serious drama,
Deux, was ill-received both by the
critics and the cinema-going public; it was in fact his second biggest
flop (after the truly abysmal
La
Boîte, 2001). On its first release in 1989, it
attracted an audience of 0.3 million, an incredibly bad result given
that its lead actor, Gérard Depardieu, was at the height of his
popularity. The failure of this film, Zidi's most adult work,
doubtless convinced the director that he should stick to what he knew
best, populist comedy for the masses.
Deux may not be Claude Zidi's
best film but it is certainly not his worst. It is a film that
is, in some respects, ahead of its time, exploring with brutal honesty
the conflict between the dictates of the human heart and the modern day
practicalities of settling down and starting a life with someone.
Rigorously unsentimental,
Deux
is a modern romantic drama which is perhaps easier to engage with today
than when it was made. Zidi directs the film with far more
panache and restraint than he exhibits in his boisterous comedies, and
there is little to fault in the performances of its two lead actors,
Gérard Depardieu and Maruschka Detmers (a Dutch actress made
famous by her appearance in Jean-Luc Godard's
Prénom
Carmen).
The only area in which
Deux
falls down is its screenwriting, which lacks the depth and finesse that
the film badly needs to avoid slipping into caricature. Most of
the weaknesses in the script are well-concealed by Zidi's focussed and
expressive direction, and by the well-judged performances from
Depardieu and Detmers. The two actors bring genuine feeling and
sensitivity to their portrayals of two independently minded people who
fall in love but tragically cannot commit to their relationship.
Unfortunately, the bigger plot contrivances are harder to sweep under
the carpet. When the film hurls its
Deus ex machina at us in its final
reel, it does so with as much subtlety as a herd of elephants suddenly
bursting onto the set. A dramatic plot twist of this kind might
have been acceptable in a 1950s melodrama, but here it just feels
unnecessarily gratuitous and renders what follows slightly
absurd. With a little more restraint and focus,
Deux could easily have been Claude
Zidi's finest film, rather than merely an overlooked footnote in his
career.
© James Travers 2012
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Claude Zidi film:
Ripoux contre ripoux (1990)
Film Synopsis
Marc Lambert is a composer of contemporary music who makes a
comfortable living organising concerts and promoting the work of
up-and-coming composers. He is keen to buy a house in Paris so he
enlists the help of estate agent Hélène
Müller. As they view properties together, Marc and
Hélène discover they are attracted to one another,
although both are reluctant to show their true feelings. Finally,
Marc discovers his ideal homestead, a large house in Montmartre which
previously belonged to one of his musician acquaintances. This is
the point at which Marc and Hélène realise they are made
for one another, and without delay they embark on a passionate love
affair. But when they begin to think about getting married, they
both start to have second thoughts...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.