May 5, 2000
Le Petit Ciel (2000) *
A worthless piece of crap that peeps, creaks and squeaks for 90 minutes, torturing viewers with its despicable attempt to evoke pity for a young man dying of cancer. Few films manage to inflict so much mental anguish and emotional distress as this monstruosity. Directed by Jean-Sébastien Lord. With Garence Clavel, Jocelyn Blanchard, Micheline Lanctot.
La Bouteille (2000) **
Directed by Alain Desrochers. With Pascale Bussière, Jean Lapointe and Liliana Komorowska. Weak ending, but otherwise a memorable and profound film about love, friendship and ambition. It’s the story of two friends who come back to their native town after 15 years in order to dig up a bottle and find out if they have realized their dreams. A nice surprise.
L’Invention de l’amour (2000) *
Directed by Claude Demers. With David La Haye, Pascale Montpetit, Delphine Brodeur. The film is seriously weakened by Montpetit’s rather indifferent portrayal of a married woman who has an affair with a flaky novelist (La Haye) after she almost runs him over with her car.
La Vie après l'amour (2000) **
Directed by Gabriel Pelletier. With Michel Côté, Patrick Huard, Yves Jacques and Sylvie Léonard. A poor, gentle sap (Côté) goes to pieces after his beloved wife (Léonard) mercilessly dumps him after 20 years of marriage without as much as a word of explanation. It’s supposed to be a comedy, and it might even seem quite hilarious to some (unbelievably cruel) women, but there isn’t much to laugh about here: it’s a devastating chronicle of women’s inhumanity to men.
Les Fantomes des 3 Madeleines (2000) *
Directed by Guylaine Dionne. With Sylvie Drapeau. France Arbour, Isadora Galway. Very, very tedious psychological drama about three generations of women discovering their identities... or something along those lines. It’s one of those films where black and white cinematography, languid pace, somnambulic dialogue and serene performances all conspire to put the viewers to sleep.
Les Muses orphelines (2000) **
Directed by Robert Favreau. With Marina Orsini, Céline Bonnier and Fanny Mallette. Four siblings, now all grown up, still cannot deal with a tragedy that befell them almost 20 years earlier, when they were all abandoned by their mother. Unlike Lilies, this adaptation of a Michel Marc Bouchard’s play falls short of the mark as far as stylistic innovation and cinematic virtuosity are concerned. But the characters are fascinating, there is an ingenious plot, and the dialogue is sharp. It’s a perfect example of a play so good that even an indifferent adaptation couldn’t completely destroy its potential.
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