An uneven but enjoyable movie. Cathy and Jane are 2 English girls on a cycling trip in France. Early on in the piece the girls argue, Cathy stops to lap up the sun, Jane proceeds. Whoops, This is the first half hour which was referenced in another review. A difficult introduction made all the more difficult by the camera work which featured close ups and lingering shots which were meaningless. Or were they? The rest of the film finds Jane turning back and searching for her friend. Drawing the obvious conclusions (we already have a good idea) she meets a number of characters and one of the strengths of the film is the ability to subtly accuse everyone. There is no blatant, ham fisted laying of clues but all characters are given just enough to get you thinking.
There is one moment in the film which had me jumping out of my chair and that doesn't happen often. I could have done with some subtitles for the French dialogue but maybe we are expected to hear what Jane would hear. I had very little idea of what the characters are saying (schoolboy French) and therefore may miss out on important details. As may Jane. We have to remember that Jane has not seen what we have seen so she can only assume the worst.
The conclusion is a little lame and not unexpected. And a few of the markers laid down by the directors are left hanging which is frustrating and leads to an uneven film. Oh yeah, and the music at the end is completely inappropriate.
There is one moment in the film which had me jumping out of my chair and that doesn't happen often. I could have done with some subtitles for the French dialogue but maybe we are expected to hear what Jane would hear. I had very little idea of what the characters are saying (schoolboy French) and therefore may miss out on important details. As may Jane. We have to remember that Jane has not seen what we have seen so she can only assume the worst.
The conclusion is a little lame and not unexpected. And a few of the markers laid down by the directors are left hanging which is frustrating and leads to an uneven film. Oh yeah, and the music at the end is completely inappropriate.