MFFF MOVIE REVIEW: SUMMER NIGHTS (LES NUITS D'ETE)


3/5

During summer nights a group of men meet in the house in the forest to dress and live as women. Some of them are gay, some are not, but they are united by a passion of being their inner self and nothing can stop them from expressing that, even if it may hurt the ones they love.

Set in 1959 during the Algirian war the movie focuses on the character Michel - a married civil servant in Paris who struggles with his feminine side and torn between two lives he leads. He has a wonderful relationship with his wife Helene, whose rebellious nature causes trouble to his career. But while Helen does not seem to care what society thinks, will she be able to accept her husband’s strange desires?

SUMMER NIGHTS is shot in 4:3 full screen ratio, which gives it a feel of a film shot in 1958. The atmosphere has an authentic touch to it, and performances to match. Unfortunately it is the writing that lets SUMMER NIGHTS down. Many storylines lead nowhere and they are being wrapped in the most unsatisfying way or simply dropped. The story of the relationship between Michele and Helene works well, but this is not enough to feel good about the ending, when many characters’ conflicts are left unresolved. The movie  has a short run of 90 minutes, but even then a few lengthy scenes should have ended up on the cutting floor.


To sum it up, SUMMER NIGHTS forgets that even an art house film has to be entertaining, which is probably it is greatest flaw.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

We'll End Up Together - Nous Finirons Ensemble (French Movie Review)

Image
10/10 Max has a sixtieth birthday coming up. The problem is he is broke, divorced and depressed. When a group of his best friends show up at his doorstep to help him celebrate, he reluctantly agrees to spend a few days with them, but won’t explain what’s going on in his personal life. When ones darkest moments come, will friendship conquer all? Seven years after the breakout success of the film Little White Lies (Les Petits Mouchoirs) comes the long anticipated sequel and it is worth the wait. The success of WE’LL END UP TOGETHER is not in its rather predictable plot, but the chemistry on screen, the characters that we recognise ourselves and our friends in, and the amazing warm atmosphere that makes one believe there’s no problem a good dinner with friends won’t sort out.  Written and directed by much loved French actor and director  Guillaume Canet this movie feels like a welcome return home to those who have seen the original and will also welcome new viewership - the film c
Read more

KOREAN MOVIE REVIEW: MEMOIR OF A MURDERER

Image
8/10 Byung-su is an elderly veterinarian who has recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He has a caring daughter who does all she can to make his life easier, and a policemen friend whose name Byung-su forgets from time to time. He also goes to a poetry club (in order to keep his mind exercised) where a lonely widow makes advances at him. But there’s one thing that sets Byung-su apart from the other senior citizens of his little town – he is a serial killer.  When a new wave of killings begin Byung-su starts to suspect that a young man who is dating his daughter is the culprit. Trying to keep the remains of his memories together Byung-su writes extensive journals. But what if his memories are actually real? Losing his grip on reality he goes head to head with the new serial killer in order to protect the only life he cares about in the world – his daughter’s. Before Dexter came around Koreans had excelled in creating charismatic killers as protagonists of the films
Read more

MSFF: DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES (MUERTE EN BUENOS AIRES)

Image
3 1/2 /5 It's year 1980 and we are in Buenos Aires. The wealthy gay man is murdered  and inspector Chaves is on the case. In order to find the culprit he has to plunge into the world of gay nightclubs, drugs and sex. But what is it with the young and handsome officer Gomes, who was the first on the crime scene, and seems to place himself with ease as a mole into a gay community? Is he trying to catch the killer? Or hiding something? As suspicions arise, Chaves is haunted by the feelings he does not understand. Will the fatal attraction to a younger man help him to solve the case, or be his undoing? First time director Natalie Meta is "spot on" on the upbeat atmosphere of the 80s without too much expense. She cleverly uses the pop tunes, over-the-top clothes and many other ingredients to recreate the time. The murder mystery is secondary, and the movie is focused on the relationship between the two men, full of innuendoes and mistrust. The very simple cinema
Read more