Comedy by Greta Gerwig, 1h54
Barbie or the ultimate form of product placement. Toy giant Mattel is embarking on film production to revive plummeting sales of its iconic doll, decried for its normative measurements and stereotypical beauty. A 100 million dollar marketing stunt entrusted to Greta Gerwig, muse of independent cinema (Frances Ha, Greenberg) who became a feminist director (Lady Bird, The Four Daughters of Doctor March). This has been the tour de force of capitalism since its birth: to appropriate its criticism and turn it into a commodity or entertainment. But that does not detract from the talent of the filmmaker, who undoubtedly goes beyond Mattel’s order (to dust off her doll) and takes the opportunity to settle accounts with the patriarchy with jubilant humor. E.S.
Drama by Mani Haghighi, 1h47
To be checked. It seems that we all have seven look-alikes in the world. One is enough to change your life. This is at least what Les Ombres persanes shows, where a driving instructor sees her husband by chance entering a building. Is he cheating on her? In the evening, he assures her that it’s not him. It can’t be him. Indeed, another man looks exactly like him. That’s not all. The gentleman in question has a wife who could be the twin of the suspicious. Go deal with it. The thing makes you dizzy. There are subjects who have talent. Infinite perspectives open before us. In a nocturnal Tehran, drowned in rain, destinies brush against each other. The future suddenly changes color. The second couple has money. Among the first, there are leaks in the ceiling and it is difficult to finish the month. Madam is pregnant. She is undergoing treatment. To her doctor, she asks if she had hallucinations. But no. She did not dream. IN.
Drame de Kamal Lazraq, 1h 34
A dog fight in a basement. Mouths full of drool, blood, barking and howling. A beast falls. Its owner lets out a tear, a brief moment of sensitivity in this rough world of the suburbs of Casablanca. To get revenge for the lost fight, the man calls on a crook named Hassan. Error. The task was too big for this small raspy-voiced striker, who unintentionally kills the opposing gang member he was supposed to kidnap. He has to get rid of the body. On the road, his van pitches dangerously. This dead man weighs 120 kilos. The doors of friends close one after another. Strangely, they all turned green. Director Kamal Lazraq takes pleasure in putting as many obstacles in his way as possible. Hassan’s son offers to dig out of sight: everywhere the ground seems too hard. Fate makes them pay for this crime, that’s for sure. B.P.
Comedy by Hong Sang-Soo, 1h24 This is his thirtieth film. Hong Sang-soo spins so much that you almost want to exclaim: Only! The director thinks everything is permitted. He’s not wrong. No need to refine a plot line. Two parallel stories unfold before our delighted eyes, now accustomed to this communicative relaxation. An actress listens to an apprentice actress and we are not in Eve by Mankiewicz. A bearded poet receives a young admirer who hopes for advice – he will not be disappointed. A large angora cat disappears. The poet has a heart problem. He tries to quit alcohol and tobacco, which have nevertheless made his reputation and which are part of his work. In both cases, a guitar invites itself into the story. There is one whose strings are broken. The actress wants to quit her job. She believes the flowers speak to her. The poet takes it easy. Let’s stop asking him these questions about literature, love, truth. You have to see the wonder with which he discovers beer at 0°. It’s a revelation. He is thrilled. This wisdom does not last forever. Despite the doctor’s advice, his cravings take him back. How about we play chi-fou-mi? The loser will have to have a drink. We won’t miss this. Soju, an essential fuel in Korean cinema, is back in the loop. What happiness! IN.
