Dangerous Liaisons (1988): An adaptation of a French classic directed by Stephen Frears, who also did High Fidelity and The Queen. The novel was written in 1782, so I assume the movie takes place around that time, and boy did they have fun with sex in that time... more than one would perhaps expect them to. Basically, the main protagonists are thoroughly bored with their lives, and so they play around with other people in very intricate ways. The cast includes Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman and the very comical Keanu Reeves... though perhaps this effect was not intentional. His voice has probably deepened with the years, is what must have happened.
Jeux d'enfants (2003): A French film by Yann Samuell... What a weird movie. A boy and a girl have been daring each other to do numerous things all throughout their lives. The game is pure fun at first, but as they grow older, the consequences pile up. They play with each other, they love each other, and they hurt each other. Some of the events that occur in the movie are very twisted indeed, and the ending is surprising to say the least. At some points in the movie, it becomes difficult to tell what is reality and what isn't. It stars Guillaume Canet, who is rather easy on the eyes, and Marion Cotillard. I do not especially like this actress, but her beauty is made evident throughout the film. I usually love French movies, but I have to admit I am not sure what to think of this film, what with its vision of absolute love. Also, the characters, in their younger selves as well as in their older ones, talk especially fast, and with that French accent...
There is a passage in which the male character describes what his life is like now that he is 35 years old. It is not easy to separate the French language from this description, so I will leave the original description here, but I will attempt a translation:
"Je vous présente ma vie vers 35 ans. J’avais tout. Une femme, deux enfants, trois potes, 4 crédits, 5 semaines de vacances, 6 ans dans la même boîte, 7 fois mon poids en matériel hi-fi, 8 coïts conjugaux par trimestre, 9 fois le tour de la terre en emballages plastiques, couvercles de polystyrène et autres packaging alimentaires non biodégradables, et 10 ans sans voir mon père. Le bonheur. La panoplie du parfait tyran dont j’avais rêvé toute mon enfance."
"I present to you my life towards 35 years old. I had everything. One wife, two kids, three friends, four credit cards, five vacation weeks, six years at the same office, seven times my weight in electronic devices, eight marital fucks per trimester, nine times the Earth's orbit in plastic wrappings, styrofoam lids and other non recyclable materials, and ten years without seeing my father. Perfect happiness. The perfect despot panoply I had dreamed of my whole childhood."
The Prestige (2006): Illusionists are a weakness of mine. In that effect, a movie about illusionists is irresistible to me. Add in a dream cast and I'm done. The cast comprises Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Piper Perabo (in a small role, but she is lovely as always), David Bowie, Andy Serkis (who provides an enjoyable performance, even without being computer-modified), Michael Caine, and Rebecca Hall (her performance in Vicky Christina Barcelona seems to be often overlooked, but it was the most memorable thing about this Woody Allen flick). There is also Scarlett Johansson, but I don't like her that much. The Prestige is the story of the rivalry between two illusionists and how they keep sabotaging each other. I was disappointed at one point of the movie when real magic is introduced, but the final and immensely satisfying twist soon reminded me that I was watching a Christopher Nolan film. And, at the end, when the greatest magician is revealed... there are no more arguments left.
Christopher Nolan also made two of my favorite films, Memento and The Dark Knight. I can't wait to see his next movie, Inception, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Ken Watanabe. It was also supposed to star James Franco, but I guess that didn't happen.
