It's difficult to believe that Tobbe-Grillet isn't taking the mickey here because he has made the ultimate movie FOR posers by making one ABOUT posers. Literally. He clearly saved a fortune on actors by just getting passers-by to stand perfectly still and expressionless. Even a DOG poses in the middle of the road. I note that after more than 20 years there are NO comments here and I can't believe that the usual pseuds/academics missed it but anything's possible. I can't believe I'm writing this but the movie (if that's what it is) opens with a guy (turns out he was one of the founders of Cahiers du Cinema, surprise, surprise) standing not only still but robot-like in a sterile room. Then there's a shot of a woman doing guess what? That's right, you got it in one. More? Why not. There's a really GREAT shot of an old guy sitting stock still on the waterfront while a dead fish lies on the dock; a shot of a man and a woman standing equally still etcetera, etcetera and these shots are HELD for what seems like forever but is probably no more than forty or fifty seconds and there's even a shot of a group of people POSING in a square. Now what this all means your guess is as good as mine unless, of course, you're a pseud and/or academic in which case you've already awarded Robbe-Grillet the Golden Ego Massager. Otherwise come back the Carry On series, all is forgiven.
Review of L'Immortelle
