Review
LOOK AT ME
Starring Marilou Berry, Jean-Pierre Bacri and Agnès Jaoui
Co-written and directed by Agnès Jaoui
Opens Friday, June 3
Uptown Screen
In reality, the relationships connected to the word "family" are often complicated, which probably accounts for why they make such great film fodder. French cinema, in particular, is well equipped when it comes to translating that reality to the screen, and Look At Me is an exceptional example.
The film tells the lovely story of a young woman named Lolita Cassard (Marilou Berry) who gets little positive attention from her father (Jean-Pierre Bacri), a famous French author. Lacking confidence and often frustrated by life and love, Lolita tries to secure her dad’s affection through her singing, but he is far too distracted engaging with his young family from his second marriage and promoting his new protégé.
One of the more potent themes running through the film is appearances and the emotions they can conceal. Lolita, who is extremely self-conscious about her voluptuous size, has a short temper when it comes to interactions with most of the men in her life. This anger, however, is the only thing that makes her character unappealing, which in turn makes her quite human. There is beauty in her size, her personality and her talent, but she can’t see it through her overpowering resentment. Her boyfriend, Sebastian (Keine Bouhiza), and her singing teacher Sylvia (Agnés Jaoui), are the only ones capable of bringing out Lolita’s softness until she gains the confidence to do it on her own, slowly walking away from her father’s approval.
The unassuming nature of the dialogue and performances captivate in a way that few films made outside of France do. While the script gives ample screen time to the narrative’s men, the real story lies with the women, who are so directly affected by the many consequences of fame and famous men in their lives. Berry is tremendously vulnerable as Lolita, while Virginie Desarnauts is quite gentle as her young stepmother, so desperate for Lolita’s acceptance. Co-writer-director Jaoui is stunning as the voice coach who takes an interest – initially superficial – that grows into a more personal realization.
The mise-en-scène, while not especially noteworthy, tells the story well with a few subtle juxtapositions of Lolita and surrounding images of supermodels. The framing is nice, the score appropriate and the lighting consistent. It is the lives of these different women, Lolita in particular, asking the world to take notice that is the most fascinating aspect of this film.
With many great qualities, Look At Me is honest in its focus, which combines all facets of family, work and romance. Each situation resolves in a way that would be completely believable in real life, but totally unexpected within the vocabulary of a movie. This accounts for some charming little surprises that keep you interested in examining the characters and following their respective paths. |
Copyright ©2005 FFWD. All rights reserved.