The Beat That My Heart Skipped - Movie Review

very quickly. I haven't seen this film but this assertion speaks to the genera: "But more and more, foreign films, specifically French ones, have begun to distance themselves from the qualities that for so long have defined them as an escape from the drudgery of Hollywood. They choose instead to pander to American audiences, borrowing their styles from us not in the way the nouvelle vague at times deconstructed our film noir, but in a way that sanitizes that which is foreign for an American market." To place foreign films on the pedestal of "hollywood deconstructionists is to not understand the global/international/postmodern/whatever catch phrase you want to use nature of the cinematic arts. No longer is the arthouse the only place for your deconstruction, and no longer is the arthouse what it once was. The filmmaker himself isn't just french...just like coppola or kaufman or jones aren't just american or if he were, then he probably wouldn't be remaking an American film with such sincerity. And you even admit that in the same paragraph, so why even mention it in the review. French does not equal art in the same way that hollywood doesn't necessarily mean trash. And it's probably even a revisionist perspective on the way french cinema was during the nouvelle vague. Odds are the only cinema out of france was not godard and trouffault at their time of shining, so why make blanket statements? SO I guess I am calling you out for purveying a common misconception about art cinema in an article that complains about common misconceptions about art cinema. So let's not put on our pretentious caps everytime a french film that's getting great reviews doesn't meet our standards. If you're going to complain about French arthouse, complain about Leos Carax or someone else, actively putting to screen obscure Melville short stories about industrial music playing terrorists, not about some French thriller (which is being marketed as a thriller as well as French, just to add to your other blanket statement about the nature of art films...I hope I am not making blanket claims). is jeunet art or french or hollywood or what? He practically jacked Brazil's tone from gilliam for Delicatessen; he even fucking looks like him. Your question of what is french, what is international, what is arthouse, should hardly be answered with such little thought on your way to critique some poor import for not separating itself from American cinema enough (such an petty thing to say). If the classifications are bunk, why depend on them? why am I even bothering myself with this? why did I use the word bunk? Damn you stylus for having comment boxes. I feel like an angry freshman filling out teacher evaluations for intro classes. "Of course he cares!"

fair enough. Your statement is completely valid. I went about things from a rather obtuse angle. More likely I was put off by the film not living up to *my* standards of what a french film should be and not standards that I think every french film should necessarily adhere to. I do not mean to say that all films from Hollywood represent a low-brow cinema, what I think I was aiming more for was saying that this film didn't quite benefit from its American influences (it had nothing new to offer to the same tired formula). To be fair, I do still believe that The Beat was a subpar drama (and an even worse thriller) regardless of where it originated, but I suppose that long-winded digression on foreign films was a bit unnecessary (the film was really just that boring), or, at least, too complicated an issue to really tackle in a brief review. But while you mention it, I do think arthouse cinema isn't what it used to be (be it french, american, italian, whatever), but I'm still not sure whether I'm happy with it's current state (I'm not a big fan of a film like Me and You and Everyone We Know, for instance). Incidentily, I haven't heard of Leos Carax, but after your brief description i'm very intrigued.

yeah...Pola X was his latest, has its moments of excess, but most do. I was most intrigued by the second half more than the first. but its almost impossible to dislike a story about a brooding romantic writer, even despite how strange everything around him is well, arthouse, but again I think that's a tad unfair. I couldn't believe it was Melville, though. I think its probably a great short story. As for current arthouse...I'm kind of in a state where I see most everything as commidified, but I think that's a result of too much jameson readings, so I might bust out of it soon. It's sad, but children's movies are really starting to intrigue me of late. Theyre so strange and harmless. But I will be front and center for the new Jarmusch and Van Sant. and probably hate the van sant. dammit.

I'm looking forward to the jarmusch, but am a bit hesitant about Van Sant's latest (mostly because I was sorta disappointed by Elephant). Although, let's not forget that Bergman (despite his supposed retirement) has a new film coming out that very same weekend, and it's even a *gasp* sequel. All in all, some promising films to look forward to.

I refused to see Elephant. I didn't need to see a suffering young adult film inspired by true events, and although that "may not be what it's about" or "it's so much more than that," I know myself well enough to know I won't like that one. But I think I'll probably have a double feature that weekend though. The Bergman should provide. (Nice usage of "all in all" in the last post. People are too afraid to use that construction these days. Sure it screams 'concluding statement' but why not scream for all to enjoy?)

See, now i can't tell if you're being sarcastic or sincere with that. It's been a while since i've used the old "all in all" conclusion. Don't know what really inspired me to pull it out, but thanks for your support. Perhaps i'll use it in the next review. Anyway, it's better that you didn't see Elephant, it's really not worth it anyway.

can't it be both/and and not either/or...oh god I think I am quoting my (man-crush) ex-professor...I definitely support it, though, for the next review; give it a 6th grade science project feel, right under the subheading, 'Conclusion.' (I am not making fun. I'm having fun.) Just finally watched 2046, but I don't have time for that conversation yet.

who is reviewing broken flowers? Get on it!