"The Skylab", pleasant family memories

The Skylab (Le Skylab, French original title)

All families are quite similar, and all family gatherings are horri.... just kidding. "The Skylab" uses that simple and recognisable plot to gather an impressive and diverse French Cinema cast, celebrating a family meeting in the summer of 1979, to build a comedy, with several hints of drama, that works also as a personal homage from writer, director and actress Julie Delpy to her family (in particular her mother).

"The Skylab" is built upon a flashback, so these are supposed to be the memories of the adult Albertine, remembering those days when she was 11-year-old and took part of a familiar get-together, celebrating the 67th birthday of her grandmother, matriarch of the clan. Getting picky, from a technical point of view, either the initial/closing scene and the whole premise are quite loose and obviously erroneous (young Albertine wasn't in every scene, so how can she remember them?).

But anyway, that's not really important for the film, who has one of its strongest points in the lack of pretensions and the aim to focus in a nostalgic, mostly kind and warm, take on those familiar days in the French Brittany. Delpy wants to portray her own family memories with affection, care, and a very natural sense of humour. She, thanks to the help of the ensemble cast and her talent for dialogues achieves that goal for almost the entirety of the film.

We all have been part of one of these never-ending get-together reunions, so it's no surprise to see silly/ridiculous situations, even sillier conversations (the one that involves NASA's Skylab space station that was going to fall somewhere that night gives the name of the film), some sex remarks, very different characters dealing with their own stories and trying to catch-up with the other quickly, many communication breakdowns, and the inevitable tensions, all while drinks and food are constantly served, even despite the capricious (and very funny) weather.

As this are Albertine's memories, childhood is a pivotal focus of the film, and Delpy proves she's got a very remarkable talent to recreate with artlessness that age, its revelations and traumas as well it provides several moments of laughs. First love (although she seems quite precocious for her age), death, arts (thanks to her bohemian parents), the transition from childhood to teenager period in particular mark Albertine's evolution throughout the movie. No, she's not a young female version of Woody Allen, although that wouldn't be the first time Delpy has the New Yorker director as a reference.

But I couldn't help thinking "The Skylab" has a couple of "issues" that harm its overall enjoyment as a whole. First, and a common one nowadays, its lack of balance, and directly linked with that, the excessive length: two hours might be necessary to present and expose such a long family and the developing situations, but there are some scenes clearly overlong (and not all of them can be justified as the film is the flashback of one person, therefore completely subjective) while other "matters" are presented just to disappear immediately. And second, when drama appears, in some selected scenes, the tone of the film gets really dark. Political discussions that could end heating-up too much are usual among families. But there's more than that here. These scenes are awkward considering the movie flows as a comedy, and with the aforementioned lack of balance, look also strangely isolated and disconnected from the rest. Maybe Delpy wanted to include too much.

Overall, a lightweight and quite pleasant film, one that you try to be even more indulgent with its flaws thanks to its undeniable charm, that works quite nicely as a nostalgic comedy.

SCORE: 6,25/10

"Delicacy", drama, comedy & awkward love

Delicacy (La Délicatesse, French original title)

Romantic comedies (rom-coms) might be the most exploited film genre ever (scary kids announcing paranormal activities on a haunted house rank close), so it is hard to find something original or fresh on the overwhelming majority of movies on that vein released over the year. "Delicacy" might not be groundbreaking, but at least has a notable amount of charms and some remarkable freshness in its development.

"Delicacy" could have been a major disaster. It starts with the extra-cute / but cool (a bit annoying really) depiction of Nathalie's, played by the always charming Audrey Tautou, (although she looks extremely thin this time imo) life along her husband. Love, happiness, in that sort of "Amélie"'s vibe, so delightful for many, so irritating for others. But out of the blue, tragedy appears with the death of Nathalie's husband.

In a radical change of scenario, and with little information for the spectator, we see the transformation of Nathalie into a fierce executive director that buries herself (and her desolation) in work. But just when it seems we are moving towards a conventional drama until she's able to "love again" (I know, this last line is worryingly unpromising, right?) there's another drastic turn of events... and comedy makes its "apparition". 

I completely understand the critics or reviewers that claim "Delicacy" suffers from a muddled development in its storytelling. It does. The tone switches might be too much for many, and debuting directors David and Stephane Foenkinos (adapting the former's novel), are on the verge of losing a natural, credible rhythm in their narration of situations (some secondary roles doesn't help either,with their odd behaviour), leaving the viewer with a wonder of where is this story going?. But somehow they manage to emerge from that little sense of chaos.

It might be thanks to their ability of avoiding drama, presenting a very light-hearted film, the lack of pretensions (no moralizing remarks), but foremost, it's a matter of chemistry. While Tautou's is capable of giving credibility to the different states of her emotional turmoil throughout the film without losing her natural "spell", is Markus, played by the unknown (for me at least) actor François Damiens, the "Swedish" (no spoiling), who really steals the show. The directors make use of our pre-conceived notions on what sort of person "fits" the other, and building up on this flesh & bones "beauty and the beast" topic they create an unlikely romance that is quite amusing and rewarding, with several awkward moments that are really funny. When Tautou and Damiens are on screen together, the scenes look genuine. And that makes "Delicacy" a pleasant "ride".

Overall, a film with charms that overcomes its erratic pacing and weak structure with the great, effortless charisma and chemistry of their leading couple. A bit bland and confusing (these unnecessary dramatic scenes near the end), but also quite entertaining and pleasant.
SCORE: 6/10

"The Intouchables" a feel-good tale on friendship

The Intouchables (Intouchables, French original title)

The real problem of this movie is publicity. This "advertisement era" ruins it all. In principle, its a good thing that a simple, well-intentioned film do great (ok, astonishingly great) on the box office. A movie based on characters and script, not in animation, special effects or 3-D is having an enormous success? We should celebrate that. But the snowball gets bigger and bigger, and commercial success is branded, sold and exploited. And with that goal in mind they have labelled "The Intouchables" as a masterpiece. And we are a million miles away from that.

To start with, "The Intouchables" might be based upon a true story, but it works as a very unoriginal, classic comedy about an "opposite, impossible couple", hardly unlikely to meet and forge a friendship. A brush-stroked class contrast between Driss, a young black and poor man from the suburbs and Philippe, a white middle aged, very rich and cultivated man, and since an accident, paraplegic. If you are thinking on a "Driving Miss Daisy" sort of film, you got it. Much improved, that is.

It doesn't take long to assume "The Intouchables" wants to please audiences.Which to a certain point, isn't necessary a bad thing to aim for. Especially when that feel-good smell comes from the chemistry between the main characters, excellently played by debut actor Omar Sy, who has a powerful screen presence (although his character has that "something" of bad American sitcoms too) and François Cluzet, and the humour, with some very remarkable jokes/absurdly funny and seemingly natural, situations (meaning a brilliant work of directors/writers Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano in that area). Don't expect a profound analysis/struggle on what does it mean to be disabled. Don't even expect a bittersweet film mixing drama and comedy. For almost its whole length, "The Intouchables" only wants to entertain you. Which as I said, is fine.

So, we have humour, a convincingly growing and sincere friendship, some beautiful filming, solid acting, and an undeniable connection with audience. So far so good. But the amount of positive elements is balanced by flat characters, in particular secondary acts, and a seriously lame attempt of bringing some social context to the story. "The Driss side" of story, initially presented, then excluded, much later recovered just for the sake of including a forced turning point (and maybe a counterpoint to all the feel-good amount of situations?), just to be abandoned five minutes after in order to reach the (obviously ever-pleasant end). Besides, the realism of the situation created is hardly believable, not to mention, the daily live of a disabled person showed on that film (did I say Philippe is extremely rich?). Of course, not every joke works that well. And a minor note: the flashback scene works great as an initial scene, but it has not justification later on.  

Engaging, with a genuine charm and chemistry between their starring couple, but otherwise a quite average film. Oh, and please Americans, would you please stop making absurd remakes of European films?

SCORE: 5,75/10