Those who find Alain Resnais' films slow and terribly dull will likely pass on Coeurs (2006), Resnais' film version of Alan Ayckbourn's play Private Fears in Public Places, but fans will appreciate the inventive scene transitions, if not Mark Snow's gorgeous score that tethers the drama of three pairs of emotionally hurt couples for which a hug won't do a darn thing.The film looks georgeous in 2.35:1, and is available in Canada via Christal Films, and in the U.S. from IFC. The DVD review also is also linked to the CD review, which is worth hunting down if you want to hear Mark Snow scoring a character piece instead of the X-Files for which he's still best-known.
Paired with the Resnais film is a review of Une Vie à t'attendre / I’ve Been Waiting So Long (2004), Thierry Klifa's film about an ex-flame who comes back and is just as guilty as her old lover for starting something that both knew was a bad idea.
The film may work for some, but it's more of an example of how to bungle a romance when you deny some of the key ingredients needed to keep viewers caring about the characters.
Mongrel Media's DVD contains a fine transfer, and the film offers a interestingly grittier portrait of Parisian locales than the idyllic (but stunning) sets in Coeurs.
- MRH
