ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.

blackriverfalls With the exception of Wim Wenders first ever movie (which I forget the title of), this is the most boring film I have ever seen in my life. There is no real plot other than that a group of characters, most ex lovers of the deceased, travel to attend a funeral. The interaction between the characters is so banal as to make even TV soap operas look professional. The only thing that stopped me walking out was my assumption that something was actually going to happen eventually. Ok, big spoiler coming up: nothing happens!The portrayal of the transgender Vivienne was generally weak and reaks of a feeble misguided attempt to educate the audience, at the same time making the character seem particularly self obsessed.

michaeljosephk No recent film starts better than this one; it out-Altmans Altman with its stunning fragmented introduction of a large cast in a confused situation as they hurriedly board the train taking them away to the funeral in the provinces. It's even helped for an Anglo-Saxon audience in that we don't know who the hell any of these French actors are. (But aren't they terrific?) The first 45 mins or thereabouts are a breathtaking hand-held roller-coaster ride more exhilarating than... well, than more or less anything you can think of. Unfortunately the train journey ends, and we settle down into another hour of vie de chateau banalities, in one of those big old houses no-one can afford to light properly. All of the usual plots raise their tired old heads: gay and straight infidelities, dotty old women and sinister old men, ravishing rent boys with HIV, abortion, drugs, inheritances, you name it and who cares? To cap it all when the missing guest finally arrives, as he was bound to - guess what? He's transgendered. Please!!! As a film director Chereau is every bit as astounding as he used to be working on stage. Please though, Patrice - try working with a script next time. (I know, there's been a next time already, and 'Intimacy' is just about opening in London, vastly famous already for 10 seconds or something of non-simulated heterosexual oral sex. I can wait.)

mwa One epiphany too many in this film, which had me and nearly every other filmgoer checking their watches repeatedly. No one was surprised by the graphic homosexual sex, nor the transvestite, nor the other pseudo-revelations we were forced to endure. Having recently seen THE CELEBRATION, I found Ceux...'s script boring and predictable, which forced its makers to resort to a cheezy soundtrack which made over-obvious comments on the THEMES and INNER STATES of the far-too-numerous-to-be-fully-developed characters, and, worse, to enervatingly jarring cinematography. The Danish pic carried out its more ambitious project with more flair and less pyrotechniques, and achieved pathos and fuller characterization. If this film hails the rebirth of le cinema francais, then don't be surprised if the land of degaulle is not in the forefront of european cinema in the vingt-et-unieme. Interestingly, could the big-family-reunion cycle in Europe be connected to the integraion of the continent, and deeply-held fears about the internal struggles/issues which remain unresolved? Can european cousins really get along?

bl-2 I liked that movie, if "like" is the right word for it. I would have liked it even better, if the music hadn't got on my nerves in quite an unspeakable way.