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THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE (LES AMANTS DU PONT NEUF) Send This Review to a Friend
Pretentious movies can come from anywhere, but when the French revel in them, the misfire can raise pretentiousness to special heights. "The Lovers on the Bridge" (Les Amants du Pont Neuf"), written and directed by Leos Carax, is a not-so-current example. The film was a loser when it was first released in France in 1991. Why dredge it up now? The probable reason can be expressed in two words--Juliette Binoche.
In the interim Binoche has become a sought-after star, so the film has a better chance to draw attention. Her reputation would be better off if the film were tossed into the Seine from the Pont Neuf, the bridge ( a replica) on which much of the film is set. But the film does have its admirers, with Martin Scorsese in the forefront as a presenter.
The lovers in question are Binoche as Michele, a troubled, rebellious artist wearing an eye patch and going blind, and Denis Lavant as Alex, a derelict street performer pitifully hooked on booze. Once they meet they begin wallowing together. Oh, do they wallow.
Presumably we're meant to be deeply moved by these fated lovers struggling against the odds with the ups and downs of their relationship. But their carryings-on are unbearably boring, even though the scenery-chewing actors give the impression that they're plunging into earth-shaking roles instead of the numbing characters they play. All this is made infinitely worse by Carax's showy direction which cries out for us to consider how brilliant he is but instead can make one squirm with the hope it all ends soon. A Miramax Zoe release
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