re:mote voices

Title: That Day [Ce Jour-Là]
Cast: Bernard Giraudeau, Elsa Zylberstein, Jean-Luc Bideau, Jean-François Balmer, Christian Vadim, Laurent Malet, Féodor Atkine, Jacques Denis
Director: Raoul Ruiz

the reason i was looking for something light to read was because i was going to another film in the french film festival which is still running this week. quite often i'll go up to the GFT early enough that i have enough time to read a little while having tea and a muffin, so that is what i did.

so far with this year's french film festival i have been a little underwhelmed. the last two films ("fear and trembling" and "body snatch") were not bad, but didn't really inspire or excite especially. however, last night made up for that.

the screening started with a short called "total rabbit", which to some degree was very silly. but on the other hand, it was rather wonderful. a man is sleeping when woken by his door buzzer. he struggles out of bed, wearing a neck brace and with one arm in a sling. half asleep he manages to lock himself out of his flat and finds that a friend is waiting on the door step of the flats.... in a full rabbit costume. this leads to bizarre and silly adventures as the man with one functioning arm in his boxers and t-shirt and a man wearing nothing but a rabbit costume try to find someone who will help them out.

ce jour-la (that day) is written and directed by raoul ruiz, a french director who has been writing and directing since the late 60's. this is a curious piece, the absurdity of the rabbit short being well suited to the oddness which crops up here. we are introduced to livia, who while the doctor's may assure is perfectly ok, her family believes to be insane. livia is filled with energy and enthusiasm, subject to quick changes of mood, and likely to spouting what seems to be nonsense to most. she is also heir to a fortune, which if she takes it on will make her very rich. a fact which is too tempting for her bankrupt father.

emil is definitely insane. he is in an institure to prove it. but certain unscrupulous people have been using the homicidal diabetic to do their dirty work. leading to a string of regrettable "escapes" from the hospital follwed by murders. here emil is let out, with the instructions that god wants livia dead.

the police decide to take a novel approach to the latest escape of the crazed killer. they decide to do nothing. sitting in the local cafe they drink coffee, play billiards and read the paper. the world moves around them, and the world leaves clues.

ce jour-la borrows from farce, without necesarily entirely being farce. a conspiracy becomes clear as the film goes on, with various folk trying to make sure things go to plan so they can get their hands on the money. this leads to folk getting chased about the garden, cartoon like pursuit round the house and blows to the head with hammers. through it all livia talks of angels and devils, oblivious to what is really going on as emil wanders the house. as a film it could be very grisly, very dark, but somehow it manages to retain a sense of humour that carries it and makes it shine.

livia is wonderfully performed by elsa zylberstein, who despite having apparently been in about 40 films i have never come across before. though i do find it curious to note that she is married to antoine de caunes, the presenter of euro trash (a programe which focuses on the various sexual quirks to be found around europe) on british tv.

meanwhile emil is played by bernard giraudeau, who was ironically also in la petite lili, the most disappointing film of the festival that i've seen so far. curiously he was also in water drops on burning rock with ludivine sagnier, who was the title character in la petite lili.

regardless ce jour-la has a strong charm and at last offers the inspiration i've been finding lacking from the other viewings in this season.