Movie view

Saturday Movie Nite  -  I loved 4½ hours of art house cinema, seats of basic velour, red and orange,  with vinyl flooring and not a lot of heating.  No sound or smell of popcorn, chocolate being unwrapped, slurpy drinks or smooching in the back seat (quel horreur or I wish!)
I never like to read detailed reviews of films before I view them but always happy to do so afterwards to see what I've missed or if I got it right. In a good film, like a good novel, the unanswered questions are fascinating.
First of all AMOUR, in French.  I had tissues at the ready and yes they were needed!  Poignant. The opening, rolls up the names of artistes in silence. Then BANG, an explosion of sound as les pompiers (the firemen) break in and the scene becomes apparent. I wished to have seen the flower gilded woman reappear at the end, but that was not the director's plan. If one can have a favourite part in a film as serious as this, it was at the end:  before the loving couple go out she reminds him to wear his shoes and coat.  Thought provoking too, was the daughter's last visit to the house. For me, to know the pianists had lost the power to play, was upsetting.  Like in THE PIANO.  On my first viewing when I couldn't stop sobbing, nor watch the screen, I had to make a swift exit to the toilet room until I'd gained courage and control.  I missed seeing THE PIANO TEACHER (same director as AMOUR).  I wouldn't say this a film projected violence BUT for me it was brutal.  Who cares for whom when the time comes?  Reminder of feeding my aunt when she could not swallow nor speak as she suffered with Alzheimer's condition. The arguments for and against hospice / retirement home  / domestic care and euthanasia are apparent. I know my choice given someone to help me (only if necessary you understand).  We are born alone and alone we die.  I very much liked the viewing of pastoral scenes to depict the passing of time.  I wondered about the light and dark of the skies within the paintings and thought of the metaphor with life and death.  The paintings were in their house. A beautiful film if you look for the beauty within life's harsh reality. Deeply disturbing throughout but every now and then I caught a smile within me.

Secondly, a different type of tragedy - LA CHASSE, a Swedish film with French subtitles.   Several times I was on the point of walking out once reasons for the HUNT had been established.  I don't mean the killing of a stag which also I'm not in favour of.   So I braced myself to the chair!  It was a very powerful film. One that is quite disturbing as a former teacher. With gender related issues and the global sexual climate as it is the film was explicit.  History does not change. Again many questions unanswered. Thought provoking and shockingly violent.  I was in tears.

To add,  there was a trailer for AUGUSTINE and a third short film (maybe 5 minutes or less)  ALL MEN ARE CALLED ROBERT.

At the moment I don't intend to see the former.  The latter was about a naked man (subsequently many like him) running through the forest, hunted and shot at by actors wearing deer and boar masks, collected in a van and I know not what after that because my eyes were seriously covered with my hands until I considered that the ultimate horror had passed.  Weird but not weird. Rather 1984 but shows the cruelty of deer and wild boar hunting. Shown in France too!!!

It was an excellent night out, just what I needed to get me into the real world of people, events and places.  Nice to understand most of the French language too and hard work!   In UK evidently, car parking can cost more than the price of a cinema ticket.  In France, I paid 6.10 euros for each film.  The man on the desk and in charge of the film operation saw my grey hair and gave a reduction!   There have to be some benefits to old age!!!! Haha. Most of the the 30 or so viewers for each film were of an age, mostly women,  some couples but interestingly more threesomes and double couples, and just a few like me "toute seule".  I like that! No one has to bear the embarrassment of my weeping, occasional expletive of shock or sometime comment or laughter......