Film Review
After the near-disaster that was
Boudu (2005) you'd be forgiven
for thinking that Gérard Jugnot had hit rock bottom and could
hardly come up with a less agreeable cinematic mishap. With
Rose et noir, Jugnot proves the
contrary and plumbs the depths with even greater gusto, pretty well
destroying his reputation as a film director with a barrage of
ill-judged humour that has as much comedy mileage as a global outbreak
of bubonic plague. Given the huge resources which he had at his
disposal, which manifest themselves in the film's lavish costumes and
sets, it seems extraordinary, if not downright criminal, that Jugnot
could only deliver an overblown and hideously self-indulgent misfire of
this magnitude. The actor-director may have started out with
noble objections, to make a scathing commentary on the intolerance and
petty prejudices that poison our present society, but he seems
incapable of extricating himself from the mire of mediocrity into which
he has fallen lately. If the inane, toe-curling dialogue doesn't
put you off, the frequent eruptions of tacky vulgarity certainly
will.
Rose et noir is
an abomination. Whatever became of the Gérard Jugnot we
used to know and love?
© James Travers 2013
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Next Gérard Jugnot film:
C'est beau la vie quand on y pense (2017)
Film Synopsis
In 1577, Pic Saint Loup, once the greatest couturier in France,
receives the commission of his career. King Henry III engages him
to create the most beautiful wedding dress for the marriage of one of
his nephews to the daughter of a Spanish nobleman. The problem is
that Saint Loup must travel to Spain, a staunchly Catholic country that
brutally oppresses free-thinkers, Jews, gays and non-Catholics - which
is unfortunate because these are exactly the kind of people that make
up the couturier's entourage. Still, Saint Loup accepts the
commission, not realising that his secretary is a closet Protestant who
intends using the expedition to avenge the St Bartholomew Massacre...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.