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Review by Roger Ebert: "[The movie by Leos Carax] arrives trailing clouds of faded glory. It was already one of the most infamous productions in French history when it premiered at Cannes in 1992, where some were stunned by its greatness and more were simply stunned. The story could have been told in a silent melodrama. Carax's film begins on the ancient Pont-Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, where two vagrants discover each other. One is Michele (Juliette Binoche), an artist who is going blind. The other is Alex (Denis Lavant), a drunk and druggie who supports himself by fire-breathing. The bridge has been closed for a year for repairs, bags of cement and paving blocks are tossed about, and they make it their home for the summer. Their landlord, so to speak, is a crusty old bum named Hans (Klaus-Michael Gruber). The lovers are both reckless and secretive. Michele, who wears a dressing over one eye, doesn't reveal for a long time that she is going blind. Alex loves her and yet would rather read her mail and break into her former home than ask her flat-out about herself. Hans keeps trying to evict her from the bridge ("It's all right for Alex, but not for a young girl like you"), but when he finally shares his own story, it opens the floodgates for all three. There is much here that is cheerfully reckless, as when Alex does cartwheels on the bridge parapet above the Seine (did no authorities see him?). Or when the two of them steal a police speedboat so she can water-ski past the fireworks display on the night of the French bicentennial. Alex raises money by his fire-eating, his sweaty torso dancing in the middle of smoke and flames, and she pours drugs into the drinks of tourists to steal their money. This melodramatic excess leads, after a time, to a romantic conclusion that seems to dare us to laugh; Carax piles one development on top of another until it's not a story, it's an exercise in absurdity. All of this is not without charm. Binoche dares to play her character with the kind of broad strokes you'd find in a silent film, and old Klaus-Michael Gruber has a touching moment of confession as Hans. Denis Lavant is not a likable Alex, but then how could he be? His approach to romance is simple: He makes his most dramatic demonstration of love in her absence, by burning [missing person] posters so she will not leave him; when she's there, he's likely to be sullen, petulant or drunk. For two strong young people to embrace their lifestyle is itself an exercise in stylish defeatism; they have to choose to be miserable, and they do, wearing it well." I love when she says to him, "[I am so proud that I taught you how to sleep without drugs. That is proof of our love.]" Without her knowing, he simultaneously ingested more...Read full review
I don't know why this movie was released to everyone but the USA in 1991 but I didn't see it until the American release in 1999 . This is a visually enchanting movie that manages to make being injured and homeless look manageable if not appealing . The action is pretty much non violent and is more a street performance film than a movie about substance abuse or the usual street movie tripe . The actors are very believable and fun to watch . The criminal scenes are mild to mischief and gave me some big smiles and laughs . I think the level of risk involved with the stunts might make you worry your kids might try them . The risk might make you wish you had taken more yourself but not too much . I don't think any of the stunts looked easy .
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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