By bringing to the screen a week in the life of the writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, filmmaker Pablo Agüero creates a unique biographical drama that oscillates between an adventure film and a poetic tale.
The year is 1930. Young Saint-Exupéry (Louis Garrel) and his best friend and mentor Henri Guillaumet (Vincent Cassel) work as pilots for the French Aéropostale in Argentina, risking their lives every day to deliver mail by air. .
When Guillaumet disappears in the heights of the Andes, Saint-Exupéry – Saint-Ex, to his loved ones – does not hesitate for a second and sets out to look for him, at his own risk. This impossible quest will transform into an initiatory journey which will oblige the future author of the Little Prince to surpass oneself and develop one’s ability to dream.
Dreamlike journey
Drawing inspiration from a chapter of Land of menan autobiographical book written by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in 1939, the Franco-Argentinian director Pablo Agüero offers, with Saint-Exupéry, an aerial fresco which immediately seduces with its great visual beauty.
A dreamlike journey into the world of Saint-Exupéry, the film is peppered with references to Little Prince and the entire literary work of the famous French writer. The story, however, suffers from some lengths which too often slow down the pace.
-Filmed over a period of two years in the majestic settings of the Andes and Patagonia, Saint-Exupéry impresses with its images of snow-capped mountains and its breathtaking aviation scenes which clearly illustrate the perilous side of the pilot’s profession at that time.
Louis Garrel delivers an impeccable performance in composing a young, idealistic and heroic Saint-Exupéry, ready to do anything to save his best friend. Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger (in the role of Guillaumet’s lover) are also convincing in the skin of larger-than-life characters.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Saint-Exupéry, a film by Pablo Agüero with Louis Garrel, Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger.
