| GOOD WORK : Claire Denis's 'The Intruder' [9/10] |
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| Monday, 28 November 2005 | |
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Claire Denis, 2004, France (130 mins). Michel Subor, Gregoire Colin, Katia Golubeva, Beatrice Dalle. Shady millionaire Louis (Subor) lives in reclusive retirement on the mountainous Swiss/French border. Suffering from coronary problems, he pays for a heart transplant before embarking on a journey halfway round the world in search of the son he's never seen. Or does he..? Ambiguous and elliptical, the latest from Denis (after Beau Travail and Vendredi Soir) is arthouse cinema with a capital A: challenging and often baffling, it certainly won't be to all tastes. But audiences in search of something different, and willing to go with Denis's flow, may find themselves rewarded with a very special moviegoing experience. This kind of dream-logic puzzle is very difficult to pull off on screen - David Lynch's Mulholland Dr was perhaps the last successful example. The trump-card, however, is veteran Subor - his wonderfully gritty performance keeps any hint of pretentiousness or self-indulgence firmly at bay, and helps Denis achieve what may turn out to be her masterpiece. NEIL YOUNG ***** |
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