Les Amants Du Pont-Neuf
1991
In building a replica of the famed Parisian Pont-Neuf bridge, Carax's film became the most expensive French film ever produced, up to that point. This budget controversy threatened to overshadow the film itself, which has slowly begun to garner the proper recognition it deserves (thanks to Martin Scorsese and Miramax's American .. Read more
| Starring | Juliette Binoche, Denis Lavant, Edith Scob |
|---|---|
| Director | Leos Carax |
| Genres | Drama, Romance, World Cinema |
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Les Amants Du Pont-Neuf
In building a replica of the famed Parisian Pont-Neuf bridge, Carax's film became the most expensive French film ever produced, up to that point. This budget controversy threatened to overshadow the film itself, which has slowly begun to garner the proper recognition it deserves (thanks to Martin Scorsese and Miramax's American rerelease in the summer of '99). Lavant portrays Alex, a drug-addicted, fire eating homeless man who lives on the deserted bridge, which is being restored for the French Revolution Bicentennial Celebration. When Michele stumbles into his life, a desperate, passionate relationship unfolds. Michele is an artist who is losing her eyesight due to a bizarre disease. But plot isn't the issue here. The sheer visual spectacle is. Shifting from brutal documentary to romantic melodrama to surrealism, Carax's THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE is an electric, powerful, poetic picture.
| Starring | Juliette Binoche, Denis Lavant, Edith Scob |
|---|---|
| Director | Leos Carax |
| Studio | ARROW FILMS |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, Romance, World Cinema |
| Language | French |
| Subtitles | English |
| Released | DVD: 30 Jul 2001 Production year: 1991 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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This is a classic example of the kind of flashy French film whose MTV-inspired visuals and sound-bite dialogue earned them the nickname “cinema du look” for the emphasis on style over content. Writer/director Leos Carax strains to make a grand statement, but ends up trapped between his attempts to explore the social realities of France during the bicentenary of its Revolution, and his genius for opulent set pieces, like the water-skiing sequence with its glorious firework accompaniment. The scenes on Paris's oldest bridge between Juliette Binoche, an artist losing her sight, and injured fire-eater Denis Lavant are more often pretentious than touching, but the film is still worth a look.
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An anti-romantic love story: grim, grey and ultimately boring with its uninteresting characters upstaged by the locations.
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Most helpful member's review
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36 out of 43 people found this review helpful
A masterpiece of French cinema
In 1989 Pont-Neuf over the Seine was closed for 2 years for urgent repairs. It became a haven for dropouts and for the location of this harrowing story. A flame thrower cum petty thief Alex (Denis Lavant) forms a bond with Michèle (Juliette Binoche) a painter with a serious eye complaint.
She doesn't have to live rough, but she has been obsessed by Julien, a former lover, and has been searching the streets and metro to find him.
Alex has been seriously touched by drugs, and throughout we are aware of his unstable condition. Alex and Michèle hijack a racing boat and an exhilarating water-surfing scene follows. They turn to fund raising - there is considerable humour in some of their petty crimes.
Realism is present in some scenes - near-fatal accidents, the drunks on the last bus home; some scenes are surreal: the metro deserted like a ghost.
The staging and photography are spectacular and the acting superb; this is a masterwork.
After the stark beginning you could not believe that there was any chance for a psychotic ex-addict and a girl losing her sight. I won't spoil an excellent story - let's just say, there is hope. -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Pointless, Silly Nasty
There isn't much of a plot in this film and the 'flashy' bits are too few and far between to relieve the pointless dullness of the rest.
The relationsip between the two main characters is what is supposed to drive the feature. Unfortunately, it isn't romantic at all and is mutually exploitative and abusive. In particular, the male character is a thoroughly nasty piece of work who remains as unredeemed and hateful at the end as he was at the beginnning.
Rent it if you want but I suspect most people 'enjoy' this particular piece of work because they think it's intellectual and artistic and they 'have to' like it.
Be independent, see it for what it is; mediocre at best. -
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In building a replica of the famed Parisian Pont-Neuf bridge, Carax's film became the most expensive French film ever produced, up to that point. This budget controversy threatened to overshadow the ... -