A great film for any auteur at any stage in their career- but for Rensais to make Private Fears in Public Places at age 84—remarkable
a sort of distant cousin of Resnais’ 1980 masterwork Mon oncle d’Amérique– about strangers who intersect (boyfriend/girlfriend, coworkers and brother/sister but also a bartender, real estate agent, caregiver) —certainly a drama subgenre of films like exists from Grand Hotel to Amores Perros, Magnolia, Nashville
Resnais uses the artificial snowflake as an editing/bridging device between the 40-50 or so individual vignettes bouncing around- very well done
one of the main settings is this gorgeous bar here
Resnais using obstructions (in the house, office, bar, etc) as literal distancing barriers between the characters who never fully connect (which I think is part of Resnais’ thesis)—one through these white blinds, one through decorative thorns, one through pink/orange colored beads at the gorgeously designed bar—it’s visual style matching and reflecting narrative—he doesn’t go far enough or keep it up though. If he had this would be a much better film
Resnais using obstructions (in the house, office, bar, etc) as literal distancing barriers between the characters who never fully connect (which I think is part of Resnais’ thesis)—one through these white blinds
A series of 1 on 1 conversations—often bearing their soul
A great shot at 96 shot of the two in the office talking with her open, and he’s obstructed fully by the furniture- a great shot
Followed closely but a perfectly symmetrical and split shot of the office in a medium long shot- stunning
Followed closely but a perfectly symmetrical and split shot of the office in a medium long shot- stunning
Like Mon oncle d’Amérique this isn’t a farce- this isn’t Bunuel laughing at the banalities of life or the ineptitude of the bourgeois (this isn’t a knock on Bunuel – just description)… It isn’t realism either though. Resnais treats his characters tenderly.
In the strong finale it starts to snow inside- a wonderful formal moment
In the strong finale it starts to snow inside- a wonderful formal moment
Recommend/Highly Recommend fringe top 10 of 2006 film
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