15th FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL: Claire's Knee (Le Genou de Claire)

I watched Claire's Knee (Le Genou de Claire) yesterday. It is one of the French films featured in the 15th French Film Festival at Shangri-La Cineplex 4. It is a 1970 film directed by the late Eric Rohmer and is the 5th film in his series of Six Moral Tales. 

It's a story about an engaged man spending his last holiday as a bachelor who develops a peculiar obsession over a young woman's knee whilst her half-sister flirts with him. Trailer here. 

Personally, I was reminded of my Psychology classes while watching it due to the fixation, fetishism, obsession that the lead character has towards the knee of a young woman. There's this gluttonous insatiable want to caress Claire's knee --a subconscious fight between a man's belief and his desire, thus, he tries to rationalize such. 

As much as it grossly sound, I found myself in loathe towards the lead character --towards middle-aged men obsessing and lusting young girls. And if I may say, a man flirting with almost every character. Putting aside this hostility and my cultural and conservative nature, the seemingly flirtatious acts might be socially acceptable in their culture. Thinking also that that might be the reason why the ladies didn't display any objection towards the volatile gestures; I might as well use my sociological learnings; this a French film anyway.

Consequently, a friend I watched it with argued that it is leaning more on poetry, well, maybe because of the lines and conversations. But I doubt so, most French films display such.

DID I LIKE IT: It made me think about those things which is good. Plus, it's artistically done. By that I  mean, it tried to deviate from the usual movie plot and cinematography yet it's well executed. The movie went his own way to depict lives of most men and thoughts most have. Yet again, of simple thoughts and few  connotative objects to relay a much bigger thought. Seeking credible critiques, it won the Prix Louis Delluc, Prix Méliès, and the top award at the San Sebastian Film Festival and it got a 94% rating in Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer. 

In contrast to those reviews and acclamation, I found myself wanting to scream inside the movie house out of urge to fast forward the boring transition. I wanted to sleep but the slow-paced nature of the film wanted me to see more, made me curious how it will end (slow-paced which most French film are, by the way, well, most films I've seen; most out of only a few though, haha). 

  

Thus, I wouldn't want to be the three guys who went out in the middle of the film because they got bored with it. One of them even complained, jabbered out loud  looking at the viewers behind him while doing so. I guess he wanted everyone or some to walk out and ditch the film --how disturbing and disrespectful! It's a free pass anyway.

CLAIRE'S REALLY PRETTY, HER STYLE DOUBLY SO: I love her style of mini dress with few accessories and her shirt-and-bikini-undies look. Laura too for her high-waist shorts and humongous short curly hair. Claire's mom style is nice too and is more sophisticated. Straw hats are worn by almost everyone which made me want to head on a calm breezy vacation.  

That's Laura in the bottom; Claire's style is nice, yea? still appropriate and stylish in our times

15th FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL REMAINING SCHEDULE:

 15th French Film Fetsival and Claire's Knee

 

JUNE 9
12 p.m. - Les Bureaux de Dieu
3 p.m. - La Graine et le Mulet
6 p.m. - La Fille du RER
9 p.m. - L’Heure d’ete’

JUNE 10
12 p.m. - L’immortel
3 p.m. - Welcome
6 p.m. - Le Premier Venu
9 p.m. - L’Amour c’est mieux a deux

JUNE 11
12 p.m. - La Fille du RER
3 p.m. - L’Heure d’été
6 p.m. - Le Beau Mariage
9 p.m. - Le Genou De Claire

JUNE 12
6 p.m. - L’immortel
9 p.m. - Lola

JUNE 13
12 p.m. - L’Heure d’ete’
3 p.m. - L’immortel
6 p.m. - Les Bureaux de Dieu
9 p.m. - La Graine et le Mulet

from clickthecity.com

I DON'T SPEAK FRENCH (so might as well post the English titles as well):

June 9, Wednesday
12 p.m. - God’s Offices
3 p.m. - Secret of the Grain
6 p.m. - The Girl on the Train
9 p.m. - Summer Hours

June 10, Thursday
12 p.m. - 22 Bullets
3 p.m. - Welcome
6 p.m. - Just Anybody
9 p.m. - The Perfect Date

June 11, Friday
12 p.m. - The Girl on the Train
3 p.m. - Summer Hours
6 p.m. - Good Marriage
9 p.m. - Secret of the Grain

June 12, Saturday
12 p.m. - Just Anybody
3 p.m. - Claire’s Knee
6 p.m. - 22 Bullets
9 p.m. - Lola

June 13, Sunday
12 p.m. - Summer Hours
3 p.m. - 22 Bullets
6 p.m. - God’s Offices
9 p.m. - Secret of the Grain

from spot.ph 

PROMO PERIOD: June 3 to 20, 2010

June 3-13 in Shangri-la Cineplex 4, EDSA cor. Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City

June 15-19 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (A retrospective of classic films of Eric Rohmer; in honor of the late filmmaker who passed away early this year)

June 18-20 in Ayala Center Cebu 

June 22-24 A selection of films will be shown at the UP Film Institute for the film and mass communication students, followed by discussions with film professors. HERE

 

P.S. I want to see Brillante Medoza's Lola and the L'immortel (22 bullets)! Have you seen the two? Any good? I'll be back on Saturday. Good thing the two are scheduled for viewing. 

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