Counter Culture

Director Francois Ozon
Cert 15, 90 mins
Reviewed by Jacqueline Sharp

Amazing introduction! Quite intense and interesting, a couple battle out the terms of their divorce with their solicitor. Their facial expressions are amazing and electrifying, such intensity of the moment paves the way for the rest of the film. The director Francois Ozon, has captured the moment. His previous film work includes (Swimming Pool; 8 Women; Under The Sand; Water Drops on Burning Rocks and Criminal Lovers). Check out his website for more detail.

The divorced couple is Marion, the wife, (Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi) and Gilles, the husband, (Stephane Freiss).

After the divorce scene the movie jumps to the couple being together in a motel room. They seem to get on OK but there is obvious tension. Marion seems uncomfortable with the situation. It seems she had every right to be as her husband Gilles turns into an ugly monster.

I wasn’t sure where the film was going from here onwards, but it suddenly becomes clearer. The movie spirals into constant flashback mode, showing the evolution of the couples relationship. They are in love and the story is told backwards. The divorce was the focus at the start of the film: thereafter scenes flow. There is dinner with friends; childbirth; wedding and finally the film ends with how Marion and Gilles met in the first instance. An extremely unusual film which is told backwards.

As Francois Ozon puts it “seeing the story backwards mean that you almost ended up forgetting that the two characters were destined to part” and “you were given a space within which to hope that the break-up might not happen after all, which seemed a perfect way of telling a love story”.

Although this is a French movie with subtitles I highly recommend it. It is thoroughly entertaining with the most magnificent acting, especially the facial expressions of Gilles. He is an amazing actor and one to watch out for in the future.

I also thought that Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, was terrific in her part. She plays the part of a sexy attractive woman, who is trying to figure out her detached husband while remaining unperturbed, with accomplishment. A woman confident in her own right, and I loved the fact that she lived for the moment. A movie that you would not want to miss!!!