LThe big theatrical release of the week is obviously Joker: madness for twocontinuation of the first Joker which set the box office on fire in 2019, turning into a surprise phenomenon. Back at the helm, director Todd Phillips this time attempts the unexpected experience of a musical comedy… But at what cost?
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Fans of counter-programming will no doubt turn instead to When autumn comesthe new singular object (as often) by François Ozon or even All We Imagine As Lightby Payal Kapadia, grand prize winner at the last Cannes Film Festival, the story of a desire fulfilled between two Indian women in contemporary Mumbai.
“Joker: Folly for Two” ✭
A laborious and flashy sequel
Set two years after the events of the first film, the plot finds inmate Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix, even skinnier than in 2019), languishing in his cell at the Arkham psychiatric penitentiary while awaiting trial for several murders committed during the insurrection that he himself started in Gotham, under the identity of his alter ego, the Joker. From a first exchange of glances with another resident, Harley Quinzel (Lady Gaga), the spark will emerge: Arthur will be reborn through his discovery of love with this woman even more pernicious than him and who will inspire him, between two court hearings, a series of musical fantasies taking him ever further away from reality.
Meanwhile, in an increasingly decaying Gotham, crowds fanaticized by their love of the Joker are massing around the courthouse to demand the release of their unhealthy idol. A sequel that is neither indigestible nor succulent, which deploys crazy energy (and probably money) to rise above the run-of-the-mill fast-food cuisine that the superhero film genre has become. . But which, for lack of a solid script, only succeeds in becoming a whim arty rather laborious, even if we do not doubt for a moment the sincerity of director Todd Phillips in his desire to have tried “something”.
“When autumn comes” ✭✭✭
Game of appearances
After a whirlwind comedy, My crime, filmmaker François Ozon changes genre with this family drama which takes place in a village in the Burgundian countryside and which involves two octogenarians, mushrooms, a murder and a ghost. The story? Michelle is preparing to welcome her daughter, Valérie (Ludivine Sagnier) and her grandson Lucas for the All Saints’ Day holidays. For lunch, she prepared them a pan of mushrooms picked with her friend Marie Claude (Josiane Balasko). Two hours later, Valérie is hospitalized, poisoned and obviously suspects her mother who did not eat any.
For her part, Marie Claude finds her bad boy son, Vincent (Pierre Lottin) who is coming out of prison and looking for work. Michelle will help him financially to reintegrate. Grateful, the latter goes to Paris to convince Valérie to see her mother again. But a tragedy occurs…
In this dark atmosphere, à la Simenon, François Ozon weaves his narrative web, multiplies the clues, the ellipses, the unsaid and reveals some secrets about the obscure past of these two false “grandmothers cakes”. Yet, so gentle, so helpful, so generous, so devoted to her grandson, how could Michelle be suspected? In this complex role, Hélène Vincent is remarkable, as is Josiane Balasko who always plays without makeup. In this little game of appearances, François Ozon leaves the spectator the choice to form his own opinion on a mystery that he takes pleasure in confusing.
« All We Imagine As Light » ✭✭✭
The awakening of two women to their own desire
At the last Cannes Film Festival where it won the prestigious grand jury prize (a sort of palme d’or encore), this film by Payal Kapadia delighted the critics. Hence perhaps a slight disappointment when we discover it: this intimate portrait of two Indian women who try to find the path to their desire in today’s Mumbai is intelligent and visually very successful… but suffers from a certain lack of rhythm.
The director comes from documentary and accompanies with as much realism as attention and delicacy the journey of Prabha (Kani Kusruti) and Anu (Divy Prabha). Although they are both nurses and share a small apartment, the two women are very different. Reserved and cerebral, Prabha has a husband who works in Germany and she does not know if she will ever see him again. Younger and spontaneous, Anu lives her story with a young Muslim man with passion and hopes to escape the arranged marriage with a Hindu that her parents expect of her.
The chronicle of these two existences is carried out with finesse but by dint of treating everything in the same whispered, delicate and vaporous mode, the film loses strength and gradually fades. However, we like the last part by the sea which offers an escape to the edge of fantasy.
THE STARS OF THE POINT
✩✩✩✩✩ : Nul
✭: Bad
✭✭: Average
✭✭✭: Good
✭✭✭✭: Excellent
✭✭✭✭✭: Exceptional
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