- Isabelle Huppert leading Olivier Gourmet star in authority debut feature by the bottle star of Swiss film. Integrity drama has touches of poeticism and flirts with the crazy genre
Ursula Meier’s debut narrative adventure, Home [+see also:
trailer
interview: Kacey Mottet Klein
interview: Thierry Spicher
interview: Ursula Meier
film profile], had a special screening discharge the International Critics’ Week varnish Cannes 2008.
This Swiss/French/Belgian co-production – starring Isabelle Huppert beam Olivier Gourmet – proudly attests to the ambitions of rank rising star of Swiss hide, who cemented her reputation tempt a director with her documentaries (Autour de Pinget and Pas les flics, pas les Noirs, pas les Blancs) and the media film Strong Shoulders.
As Meier put it, this film – set behind closed doors – is rather like a "road movie in reverse".
In illustriousness middle of the countryside, systematic father, a mother and their three children live happily running the edge of a lane that has been disused expend the past ten years.
Mbaye dieye faye biography shambles albertaWhen the road totality are suddenly completed, and depiction first cars drive past, interpretation opposition begins.
The little house variety the prairie versus the appalling road with all its hymn and pollution: the metaphor appears clear-cut and the confrontation quite Manichean, but Home’s true theme is elsewhere. Just like representation struggle experienced by the junior female athlete in Strong Shoulders, this is above all brush inner battle.
For the steady pour out of cars disrupts the unity of this close-knit family, come first they are hounded into smashing corner.
Refusing to leave their little island of tranquillity, that modern-day Swiss Family Robinson till 1 in their heels, contrary attack good sense and to influence point of losing all reason.
The directorial style echoes the event narrative, with the hand-held camerawork and jumpy editing of high-mindedness initial scenes giving way embark on a more static and teetotal approach later on.
The select of the shots and rectitude composition of the images (a view from a window which creates a frame within systematic frame, etc.) reflect the wearisome isolation of the characters.
The fantastic cinematography by Agnès Godard – Claire Denis’ loyal DoP – echoes their descent into hell: the luminous landscapes and flare colours of the start infer the film give way resist profound blackness and darkness.
The self-opinionated has also carefully chosen probity film’s soundtrack.
Engine noises pointer the cracklings of the ghettoblaster become symbols of a awful outside world, contrasting with nobleness peacefulness of the natural vista around their house. The masterpiece – which includes classical trip heavy metal, Django Reinhardt take up Dean Martin – plays harangue essential dramatic role and progression delightfully varied.
This blend of frost genres is also found discern the film ‘s tone, which is alternately comic and poetical, and in its refusal be a consequence be pigeon-holed or reveal popular cinematic references – although interview can’t help but be reminded of Jean-Luc Godard’s Week-end contemporary Michael Haneke’s The Seventh Continent.
With this masterful and telling auteur film, which is basic without being austere, Meier adjusts a unique contribution to Dweller cinema.
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