Shy car rental worker Masanobu Ando and even more shy nurse Hikari Ishidafind their lives suddenly brought together when they find themselves inpossession of a case full of Yakuza money, and go on the run together. Loveblossoms on the road, and the two learn to take more of a front seat role inlife.

The story is not a particularly original one, but with a movie like thisit’s all about the details – and the development of the plot, dialogue andsituations are all very well thought out and original. It never feels tiredor worryingly cliched.

Adrenaline Drive is built on the kind of solid foundations that the bestmovies always stand on – a cast of well developed characters, each withdistinct personalities and quirks and enough screen time to let you get toknow them. The two leads get most of the screen time and are therefore thecore of the movie, and thankfully Masanobu Ando and Hikari Ishida play themperfectly. They seem totally natural in the roles. The smaller roles are allequally well filled too – the all round brilliance of the acting suggeststhat director Shinobu Yaguchi had a strong influence on the mostly youngcast, and knew exactly what he was doing.

There is a certain amount of excitement in the young couple’s adventures,but nothing that warrants the application of the word "Adrenaline". There’sa little bit of romance, a little bit of pathos and a lot of effectivecomedy, but only one or two scenes that are likely to raise the bloodpressure noticably. The movie is very pleasant and agreeable towatch.

The closest movie I can think of to compare with Adrenaline Drive is anotherJapanese comedy, Space Travellers. Both have a warm hearted nature andcharacters nobody could fail to love (even the bad guys), and both handlethe development of a familiar situation in innovative and enjoyable ways.Adrenaline Drive perhaps has a slight edge, being masterfully put togetherat every turn. I find it hard to imagine anybody failing to enjoy the movieas long as their expectations are in the right genre, infact.

Highly recommended!

2) "Adrenaline Drive", a misnomer, is about money and a shy guy and anot-so-shy girl who have it and a handful thugs and one real badass Yakuzadude who want it. A busy, fun, and creative little flick, "AD" works wellinthe beginning and slowly wears out as it plods sweetly but doggedlytowardsits conclusion. Worth a look for those into Japanese films.(B-)

3) Everyone can find laughs and enjoyment in this movie, an unpredictable twiston a familiar theme. The lead actors are completely charming and natural,making their somewhat pitiful characters attractive and endearing. Onetruly hilarious episode deals with an explosion, showing a chain-of-eventsthat is logical, comical and a bit frightening.

Even the secondary characters shine in their roles, and the movie allowsthem time to bring their characters to life. The strict head nurse from thehospital explores her dark side while the nastiest gangster is humbled bymedical procedures and a limited capacity.

Sure there are some cliches, like the mousey nurse transforming into astylish vixen, and the inept thugs who don’t have a clue, or thestrategically placed pickup truck that leaves at precisely the right moment. But it’s all done with enough good nature and energy that makes it morethan worthwhile.

4) Rented this from Netflix. The look of this film is slightly low budget,but it complements the bizarre situations in the movie well. Think"Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" only in Japanese and less overtviolence. The acting is good and the story is very very good and funny.Cinematic ally, it’s not much to look at. The movie concentrates ontelling the story as clearly as possible and it does a good job doingit. Although the movie itself is pretty tame, there is some stronglanguage in the subtitles that younger children probably shouldn’t beexposed to. Another movie that you may like if you like this one is"Wasabi" with Jean Reno and Ryoko Hirosue. It’s worth a rent!

5) I’ve always liked Japanese comedy but this one tops my list. Very realcharacters combined with a very unreal situation can always bring out thebest in a film. And reversal of roles is also prevalent: the head nursegetting greedy and the mob boss struggling with full bodycasts.

There’s dark, light, and every other kind of humor in this film, and thesituation is very enjoyable. I’ve always liked mischievous dark comedy andif you’re tired of what’s come to be common "American Dark Comedy"(Very BadThings, Something About Mary, etc. etc.)this will be a great and refreshingfilm to watch. It’s so fun that you won’t even notice thesubtitles.

6) Don’t be fooled by the title. This film is in no way an "adrenaline drive."It moves slowly with the romantic comedy far apart. But thats not a reasonnot to watch this movie. Don’t think of it as a "movie" but as a look intoJapanese life. This movie centers around a rental car guy and a shy nurse.When they find a case of money they decide to run away together. But whenYakuza gang members find out they go after. This is a great movie to watchbecause you find out how the Japanese think and their culture. And how muchsimilar they are to Americans in terms of how they live,their shops,etc.This is more than enough reason to watch this movie.

7) Though fluffy and lacking purpose, Adrenaline Drive is extremely enjoyable.A parody of popular Japanese movies, it pokes fun at nearly every aspect ofthe typical take-the-money-and-run film. It simultaneously made me cringeand laugh out loud. Definitely not to be missed by anyone who can standthefamiliar plot.

This film, while taking a rather sappy romantic story line (viacircumstance, two passive losers find fire in their lives as a couple) andmixing it with a stale action ‘hook’ (innocents get mob money; mobpursues),produces a thoroughly enjoyable comedy that will appeal to almosteveryone.

Although there is very little adrenaline on display, except for thedelightfully silly ‘keystone kop’ young Yakuza gang, everything clicks.Casting is dead on. There is a great diversity in the characters and eachactor nails their part. The featured couple have a special magic charmgoingfrom mousy to wickedly clever. The ‘old bag’ head nurse is hilarious wheninteracting with the equally tough mobster, and the aforementioned gang oftoughs throw a chaotic slapstick into the mix.

Highly recommended to anyone who doesn’t mind subtitledfilms.

9) Adrenaline Drive is highly derivative of existing genres: theon-the-run-from-the-mob-with-a-sack-full-of-money heist movie combined witha teen romance, but throws in such great slapstick humor and endearingcharacters that make the film completely entertaining to watch. It’s got asense of humor reminiscent of Beat Takeshi’s films, but more lightheartedand broad. Everyone on the cast shows great comedic skill. My personalfavorites are the pack of ditzy nurses who spend all their time slacking onthe job, and Suzuki’s boss, who taunts him relentlessly. The actor whoplays Suzuki is quite a hottie, by the way.

My main disappointment with the storyline was the transformation of the mainfemale character from a mousy wallflower into the sassy chick after she getsa makeover and a new wardrobe. It was the loss of a great sight gag – theskinny, nerdy girl facing off against the mafia. Oh well. All in all thisis a FUN movie. Even though you can probably predict the ending, everyminute is worthwhile to watch.

10) I saw this film in the Japanese Film Festival, here in Melbourne. I foundit to be a very entertaining story of two people who are thrown togetherafter a Yakuza den explodes. It was a love story, with comedy thrown in.Ithought it was great, and well acted. I would recommend this to anyonewhowants to see a light hearted love story.

I once heard somewhere this film was based on a true story.Very reassuring!

Olivier Smolders, a moviemaker from Liège, Belgium, made this black andwhite short film. I bought a videotape with everyone of his "spiritualexercises". I just LOVE this kind of bizarre short films! "Adoration"seemsvery strange in his form (totally soundless, except when the Japanese guyrecords his girlfriend’s voice reading a novel’s short passage). But youleave this film with a profound ambivalent feeling, wondering if you’veattended to a wonderful love act or a piece of despair’sdarkness.

I recommend this one to short films aficionados and to weird, undergroundorgore movie fans.

Alas, "Adoration" is probably a bit difficult to find elsewhere than inBelgium.

2) I can hardly regard the entire story as a kind of art,especially when ilearn it bases on a true story.The man who did this is disgusting,forhis behaviors reveals the darkest impulse of human being,as thedirector introduced in the Cinema of Death DVD.

I absolutely hate the man's deed,but I have to say I adore the way thedirector illustrates it.He adds nothing emotional to the film,justtells the whole story out in detail,rationally and neatly.He does thefilm in a documentary way,but attention plz,it's actually not adocumentary.All the horrific scenes are performed by actors.

After it,i hesitate at the question to whom i could recommend thisfilm.If you will never be upset about the extreme dark side of humanmind and are always eager to appreciate the incomprehensible crazedobsession of love,OK,then enjoy the film(but seemingly the directorsaid the murderer is not really in love with the victim,or he willnever kill her.maybe he did it not out of love,but out of selfishness).

I think the director made it is not to say "right" or "wrong" to theman's mad behaviors,he just wanna record the affair in his way,thentells us about it,and so everyone of us can make a judgment all byourselves.so that's why he did it in an all documental way.

3) Adoration (1987)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Bizarre Belgian film about a Japanese man who invites the woman of hisdreams over to his apartment for dinner but he then decides to eat her.This film works brilliantly on a technical level but the overall moviedoesn't work as well. The film is in B&W and plays out mostly silentwith only the reel being able to be heard but once the cannibalismstarts we then hear the dead girl saying a poem while we watch whathappens to her. The film is brilliantly made and directed and thespecial effects are wonderfully done. We see the woman get her bodyparts cut off and I'm still wondering how they were able to pull thisoff. From Cult Epics Cinema of Death collection.

Things go better in the second segment (this is a movie made up ofthree sketches linked by scenes in the hero's neighbors'apartment).Charles Spaak shows some nastiness and cruelty betweenwomen.Let's point out that most of the movie takes place in richwealthy milieus:very few people could afford winter Sports in 1952.

But the real meat here lies in the third segment ,a spoof on charityamong the chic people ,a subject which is today more relevant thanever.Edwige Feuillère portrays a Lady Bountiful rolling in it whospends her time throwing parties,dancing or attending fund-raisingreceptions "to help the poor and the needy" .She has even hired as asecretary an ex-con :the humiliated girl has got to learn her lineswell cause every time she meets one of her boss's guests she must tellher whole story,warts and all.

The "Centrale Catholique Du Cinema" gave the movie unanimous thumbsdown:they asked the Christians to avoid this "immoral cynical " movie.The three segments are amorous memories of a young man (DanielGélin)about to marry his neighbor's daughter he used to help with herequations but who obviously preferred to lead a wild life instead ofstudying for her high school diploma.This seventeen-year-old girl isplayed By Antonella Lualdi who resembled Hilary Swank when she wasyoung.

The cast and credits would have been original ,hadn't Sacha Guitryinvented the trick long before Christian -Jaque.And anyway the verysame year even that was dwarfed by Julien Duvivier's "La Fête AHenriette".

On a positive note, the film co-stars the magnificent 85-year-oldactress TSILLA CHELTON of "Tatie Danielle" fame, who wipes everybodyelse off the screen and brings excitement in her every scene – she canbe mean, coquette, subtle, funny, scheming, disgraceful, fragile – shecan do anything! She's the reason alone (and enough) to recommend thisfilm on a sleepless night.

Mme Chelton, vous êtes superbe! Chapeau!

• Continuity: The wall calendar in George’s office flutters in the breeze and stays still between shots (suggesting the scene was shot on an outdoor set).

‘The Adorable Cheat’ has an unfortunate title: I dislike it when amovie *tells* me outright that I’m meant to find the heroine adorable;I prefer to make that decision for myself. But this is a fine lightdrama (with some comedy touches), supplying an excellent showcase forLila Lee’s charm and talents.

Marion (Lee) is the daughter of Cyrus Dorsey (the dependable BurrMcIntosh), a manufacturing magnate. Her brother Will is anirresponsible playboy. Level-headed sensible Marion is clearly bettersuited than Will to take over the reins of the company, but theirbloody-minded father believes that the board room is no place for a’girl’. (Although he’s got plenty of women working on his assemblyline.)

To acclimatise herself with every aspect of her father’s business,Marion disguises herself as a prole and gets a job in his factory.While passing as a working-class woman, heiress Marion meets GeorgeMason, a lowly shipping clerk who also works for her father. Loveensues, to the point where she reveals her true identity to him. Hopingto get her father’s approval for their marriage, she invites George toa party at the Dorsey mansion. But then someone robs Cyrus Dorsey’ssafe during the party, and the evidence points to George being theculprit. Will justice prevail?

Lila Lee gives an excellent performance in what might arguably be adual role: she ably establishes herself as an heiress born toprivilege, yet is equally convincing in her disguise as a pink-collaremployee. What weakens this movie are the poor script and stoliddirection. The identity of the real thief is blindingly obvious, andseveral of the supporting characters seem to be archetypes rather thanhuman beings: Cyrus Dorsey is the bloated plutocrat, whilst GeorgeMason’s parents are salt-of-the-earth homespun folks. Mostly on thestrength of Lila Lee’s vivacious performance, and some goodphotography, I’ll rate this movie 7 out of 10.

2) Lila Lee was an attractive and talented actress in the late silent era.She married James Kirkwood, a star of silent westerns, at a time whenhe was a bigger star than Lee … but her career prospered while hisdiminished. When talkies arrived, she proved to have a pleasantspeaking voice and some ability with dialogue. Her stardom brieflycontinued into the sound era, but she managed her career badly andfaded into obscurity. She is remembered for being Lon Chaney’s leadinglady in his only sound film, and also as the mother of the playwrightwho wrote ‘A Chorus Line’, James Kirkwood Jnr.

‘The Adorable Cheat’ has an unfortunate title: I dislike it when amovie *tells* me outright that I’m meant to find the heroine adorable;I prefer to make that decision for myself. But this is a fine lightdrama (with some comedy touches), supplying an excellent showcase forLila Lee’s charm and talents.

Marion (Lee) is the daughter of Cyrus Dorsey (the dependable BurrMcIntosh), a manufacturing magnate. Her brother Will is anirresponsible playboy. Level-headed sensible Marion is clearly bettersuited than Will to take over the reins of the company, but theirbloody-minded father believes that the board room is no place for a’girl’. (Although he’s got plenty of women working on his assemblyline.)

To acclimatise herself with every aspect of her father’s business,Marion disguises herself as a prole and gets a job in his factory.While passing as a working-class woman, heiress Marion meets GeorgeMason, a lowly shipping clerk who also works for her father. Loveensues, to the point where she reveals her true identity to him. Hopingto get her father’s approval for their marriage, she invites George toa party at the Dorsey mansion. But then someone robs Cyrus Dorsey’ssafe during the party, and the evidence points to George being theculprit. Will justice prevail?

Lila Lee gives an excellent performance in what might arguably be adual role: she ably establishes herself as an heiress born toprivilege, yet is equally convincing in her disguise as a pink-collaremployee. What weakens this movie are the poor script and stoliddirection. The identity of the real thief is blindingly obvious, andseveral of the supporting characters seem to be archetypes rather thanhuman beings: Cyrus Dorsey is the bloated plutocrat, whilst GeorgeMason’s parents are salt-of-the-earth homespun folks. Mostly on thestrength of Lila Lee’s vivacious performance, and some goodphotography, I’ll rate this movie 7 out of 10.

Janet Gaynor's voice is almost shockingly girlish, which I think musthave been partly due to the sound technology used, but her performancesuits the title. In addition, her character is spirited andmischievous. Henri Garat, a French actor playing Gaynor's loveinterest, doesn't fare quite as well as she does: he's a bit hard tounderstand, with his heavy accent; isn't 100% photogenic; and hischaracter comes off as a little caddish. But he does bring his finesinging voice, sounding sincere even when the lyrics are a triflesilly: "You're so completely adorable…is the way to your heartexplorable?"

Recommended for old-movie fans looking for a diverting film that'ssweet but surprising.

Loved little Darian’s performance. I was especially touched by therelationship between Chris and Melvin since I could relate my own personalfather-son experience, the need to grow up and overcome our own fears andself-imposed fails.

I really liked the Theatre scene, its dark style, great taste for music(theopera added so much feeling).

Mur and Weiss played like they really had some "things" -in their ownparticular way- to overcome. Even though it was so difficult to likeChristopher’s character, I really felt so close to his so-calledfrustrationand his neverending effort (or stubbornness) to give up.

Definitely, want to see more of the creative mind behind thispiece.

2) I thought everyone was doing a great job except that Melvin (Mur)seemed to be overdoing his character's sullenness and unwillingness togive 'this adoption thing' a chance. I finally realized his problem wasreally his inability to accept his own incompleteness — his beinghuman and thus 'less than perfect.' Because we foolishly believeeveryone else has 'got it together' we feel we're not quite as good asthem, and we dwell on our own shortcomings. Lighten up! Be patient withthe Melvin Character and you can better accept your own unwillingnessto empathize with Melvin's unwillingness to accept his own dilemma ofbeing infertile or, not quite 'a man.' A tough pill to swallow.

I have 'ED' — have for 4 years since I had prostate cancer and theyremoved the prostate –and my ability to be normal — to have anerection — ever again. That took almost all of the four painful years,but I'm out of my funk, finally, and my wife and I make do — justfine. I'm wholly whole now that I accept this 'gift.' Mur and Melvintaught me a lesson. Open your mind — it helps a lot.

3) This is an absolutely amazing short film. I was bowled over byeverything about it–the writing, the direction, the acting, etc.. Itsimply is a brilliant little film and the future for everyone connectedwith the short is something I can't wait to see.

Catherine C. Pirotta co-wrote (along with Nick Rish) and directed thismasterful film about a man struggling with his own infertility. Despitethis infertility, like many adults, Melvin just can't admit this tohimself. He not only holds out for hope, but refuses to reach out toothers–choosing to instead be bitter and alone. When his wife, Amy,can't take his unwillingness to think and talk about the future, shepushes the issue by contacting a local social service agency andlooking into adoption. Melvin wants nothing to do with this buteventually he acquiesces–mostly because Amy won't take no for ananswer.

There is a sweet little boy as the children's home, Chris, whoseparents were killed in an accident and he has no relatives able to carefor him. Amy agrees to take him home for some visits, though Melvinsulks and does a lot to make the boy feel unwelcome. Watch this film tosee what happens next.

What I really loved about this film in particular was the amazingscript. The dialog was amazing and so true to life. Plus how many otherfilms even think to look at male infertility? This is a great filmbecause it does something different and presents people who seem likepeople–real people.

Now Pirotta's excellent story and directing really did a lot to createa great story. Fortunately for her, she also had some exceptionalactors. All were very good, but there were some standouts. ChristopherMur ("Melvin") was just great. Apparently this was his first actingrole and he's made several appearances since. I sure hope these otherjobs allowed him to show off his great skills–they were sure evidenthere. In addition, Darian Weiss ("Chris") was just terrific as well.Many child actors seem very fake and I often feel that kids can be theweak link in a production. However, young Darian was wonderful–andit's one of the best child performances I've seen in ages. Restrainedand not too cloying–exactly what the role demanded.

The bottom line is that this short film by brand new and inexperiencedfilm makers shows much more talent than you usually see in films byestablished veterans. I would really love to see what these peoplecould do with a larger budget and a full-length format–it will nodoubt be amazing. See this film…and have a box of Kleenex nearby. Agreat film for everyone and it's not just a "chick flick".

The action takes place at the turn of the 19th Century. Adolphe (Stanislas Merhar) is a carefree, somewhat jaded 22-year-old, scion of a preeminent aristocratic family, with a very promising political career ahead of him. To Adolphe, love means conquest, and since he is bored, love is a good pastime. At a soire given by the Count (Jean Yanne) in his sumptuous castle, Adolphe sets his eyes on the beautiful Ellnore (Isabelle Adjani), a young widow, ten years his elder, mother of two children. She also happens to be the Count’s mistress. Adolphe falls in love with Ellnore, for lack of a better thing to do. At first, Ellnore resists Adolphe’s feverish advances. He insists, becoming an overwhelming presence (and nuisance) in Ellnore’s life. Eventually, she surrenders. Soon after, the novelty of this adventure wearing out, Adolphe tries to liberate himself from his new lover, who has become a burden in his life, an obstacle to his freedom. However, he cannot bring himself to altogether sever his relationship with Ellnore, as the idea of making her suffer is to him unbearable.

Ellnore loses everything as she tries desperately to "hang onto" her lover: her children, the Count’s protection, her status in society. For his part, Adolphe’s life is in limbo, as he is unable to break once and for all with his now dying love affair. He offends his father, who demands his return to a more conventional life, and he abhors his own indecisiveness, his inability to end his love affair and regain his freedom. What follows is the fallout of an obsessive relationship: unbearable guilt, accusations, and poison letters of recriminations between the two parties. Eventually this emotional charade ends up in death and misery.

2) receives a 1, instead of a -0- due to the quality of the actors. theamazingly beautiful Isabelle Adjani as Ellenore, an incredibly boring,one-dimensional, stupid woman. Stanislas Merhar, who delivers anincredibly un-nuanced performance as the moronic "Adolphe". the usuallyalways wonderful Jean Yanne in a wasted performance as The Count.Romain Duris, as usual, an excellent performance as the effeminateD'Efeuil; and the fabulous Jacquot muse, Islid Le Besco as a wasted bitplayer, La Lingerie. i spend time on the actors because of theincredibly UNtalented directorship of M. Jacquot! where his reputationcomes from is a huge question mark? however, he does have the uniquetalent of both selecting very unteresting topics, then making each ofhis movies very very boring, droll, and worst of all, he simply doesNOT know how to tell a story in a way that "doesn't" put the viewer tosleep; OR, he thinks of himself as a genius and selects subjects,(only) he believes, will be of interest to the viewer. after havingseen, actually wasting time, 3 of his movies at a Benoit Jacquotfestival at Lincoln Center, NYC June-July 2006, i can unequvically say,he may be the worst director, or the most boring, of the last 35 yrs!!!it's a shame, so many fine actors have been gulled to appear in hisodious interpretations, & hopefully, he will retire, left to watch hisown boring work, which should easily put even him to sleep, as most ofthe audience in attendance at this "Festival" were?!

3) Benoit Jacquot's film, Adolphe (2002), is the adaptation of BenjaminConstant's 19th Century French classic, a novella reputed not to beadaptable to the screen. Indeed, Jacquot proved it, or maybe his talentas a director was simply not up to the task. You cannot watch this filmwithout recalling the (several) screen adaptations of the Frenchepistolary novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Les LiaisonsDangereuses (1782), which preceded Adolphe by thirty-four years, and inparticular the beautiful Stephen Frears version, Dangerous Liaisons(1988).

The action takes place at the turn of the 19th Century. Adolphe(Stanislas Merhar) is a carefree, somewhat jaded 22-year-old, scion ofa preeminent aristocratic family, with a very promising politicalcareer ahead of him. To Adolphe, love means conquest, and since he isbored, love is a good pastime. At a soireé given by the Count (JeanYanne) in his sumptuous castle, Adolphe sets his eyes on the beautifulEllénore (Isabelle Adjani), a young widow, ten years his elder, motherof two children. She also happens to be the Count's mistress. Adolphefalls in love with Ellénore, for lack of a better thing to do. Atfirst, Ellénore resists Adolphe's feverish advances. He insists,becoming an overwhelming presence (and nuisance) in Ellénore's life.Eventually, she surrenders. Soon after, the novelty of this adventurewearing out, Adolphe tries to liberate himself from his new lover, whohas become a burden in his life, an obstacle to his freedom. However,he cannot bring himself to altogether sever his relationship withEllénore, as the idea of making her suffer is to him unbearable.

Ellénore loses everything as she tries desperately to "hang onto" herlover: her children, the Count's protection, her status in society. Forhis part, Adolphe's life is in limbo, as he is unable to break once andfor all with his now dying love affair. He offends his father, whodemands his return to a more conventional life, and he abhors his ownindecisiveness, his inability to end his love affair and regain hisfreedom. What follows is the fallout of an obsessive relationship:unbearable guilt, accusations, and poison letters of recriminationsbetween the two parties. Eventually this emotional charade ends up indeath and misery.

Benjamin Constant's novel, the story of a young man incapable of love,became the symbol of "le mal du siècle," or world-weariness. It ispartly autobiographical as far as the character of Ellénore goes, asshe is the embodiment of Madame de Staël, the writer's jealousmistress. But it is difficult to be passionate about Jacquot's rathercold love story. Jacquot's production is stuffy and, let's admit it,boring, which is partly due to the stale platitudes and triteness ofthe dialogue written by Fabrice Roger-Lacan (although the voice-overs,taken verbatim from the novel and read by Merhar, are very effectivefor a period piece, giving an appropriate impression of distance intime). The dialogue between the protagonists is banal and unconvincing.We do not get touched by the equivocations or the passionate flames ofthe two characters.

In the acting department, Stanislas Marher is thoroughly dull. Hisexpressionless face and emotionless portrait of Adolphe is totallyunconvincing, and leaves the viewer uninvolved. Adjani is only saved byher elegant personality and gorgeous physique, but her acting is on parwith that of her lover: awful.. For some time, Adjani dreamed ofplaying Madame de Staël, and she was at the genesis of Adolphe. But, bynow, one has grown tired of Adjani's portrayals of a grief-strickenwoman, which she has been performing since Histoire d'Adèle H., (1975).Jean Yann, as The Count, is aristocratic in his demeanor, and providesthe only solid acting in the film.

The point is not to judge the film by its content or its form, but toappreciate the director's ability to immerse and involve himself in theuniverse of the writer, and by so doing, appropriate him. On thisaccount, Jacquot barely succeeded. In a novel, the written words give abackground into which the reader's imagination and/or past experienceflourish: the drama rests entirely on the author's writing. But in afilm, the director interposes himself between the writer and theviewer, and in this particular film, the director and his lead actorshave been unable to bring to life a story driven by feelings ratherthan by action.

The music is forgettable, excepted for few bars of a delightful themefrom Robert Schumann's Quintet for piano and strings, Op. 44, whichappears repetitively, almost obsessively, and in a very unimaginativeway, throughout the film and eventually works at cross-purposes tosetting the mood.

If it can be, the film is "saved" by Benoit Delhomme's remarkablecinematography. Delhomme, who found his inspiration in Ingres for theFrance scenes, and Wilhelm Hammershoi for the Polish ones, transportsthe protagonists in a kind of magical universe. We also note theauthenticity of the costumes by Catherine Bouchard, and a classic miseen scene, which is of course what one would expect from anépoque-piece.

4) Perhaps I am to blame my unfamiliarity with the original novel by BenjaminConstant (1816), but this movie turned out to be one of the most boringtitles that have graced my eyes. As a fan of French cinema in general, andAdjani in particular, I was eager to watch this `movie about great tragiclove’ (as I was told by people who recommended it). As I watched thismovie,I realized that I’ve been tricked, misinformed: there’s no such thing as`love’ in this movie, just appalling lust. Basically, to sum it up, thisisa shot at the time-old story of a man who falls for a woman; woman sleepswith the man; man stops caring about the woman yet sticks with her `out ofprinciple’. Meanwhile, the viewer is forced to sit though a good hour andhalf of Adjani’s lamentations (which got tiring after the first 20 minutesof the movie) and with the male lead that `floats’ around mumblingquasi-meaningless clichéd observations while being about as expressive asalog. Nothing really happens in the movie (which could have been easilyshortened two-folds), and when the credits finally start to roll the onlything that redeems this piece of cinematic work is the fact that itfinallycame to an end. Ultimately, the story as it is presented by thisdisappointment of a movie feels like a distasteful version of EugeneOnegin(even though Adolphe was written slightly before Pushkin’s chef-d’oeuvre),minus the parts that made Onegin exciting and thrilling.

1/10