Jet Lag
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Movie Reviews of Jet Lag
Movie Review: Rose Meets Felix: Slight, But Delightful Romantic Comedy
Summary: 4 Stars
Contrary to what some people say, "Decalage Horaire" ("Jet Lag") is NOT middle-aged version of "Before Sunrise." The story is similar, but this French film is more 'French' ... I mean, relying on very subtle things expressed in the short course of the film, including cultural aspects of its contents. You should not take this film simply as 'chick flick' because the writer/director is Daniele Thompson, veteran writer with long career of more than 30 years, is making a very sophisticated romantic comedy in which small things really matter.The film is, simply put, Jean Reno meets Juliette Binoche (or vice versa) at Paris airport. Rose, played by Binoche, loses her cell phone, and borrows one from Reno's character Felix. After we see several more rather complicated (some say contrived) events at the airport -- like, bad weather, strike, and so on -- they decide to spend the time together before the flight. They know they are going to part soon, never to meet each other again, but as you soon realize, they don't know whether they should continue the original plan of the trip.
The basis of romantic comedy is all here. Surprisigly, the film is originally written for American production about ten years ago, but the final result is absolutely French, or European. The characters are more mature than the ones in Hollywood-made films, and sometimes do or say very cruel things.
Some (or many) funny part of the film depend on the language; that means, if you don't know the French, you might miss several of the points the film is making. Reno's Felix often uses English, which reflects his career as chef travelling around the world. He even misuses French even though he is born French (hence, "Jet Lag"?), and if his conversations with Rose sound a little awkward at first, it is not all because he had been a total stranger to her. These liguistic aspects, which tell us the different background of these characters, might appeal to French people, but are sadly lost on many of us including me.
But Binoche's makeup is not among them. Her initial appearance is a bit of surprise because of her heavy make-up. It was done beautifully, but the fact that it is overdone is too obvious. And then, later in the film she appears as she is, being very natural and beautiful as before. The gap between the two Binoches is one of the fun you will get in "Decalage Horaire."
This is not a film that provides big laughs. This is a romantic comedy of which contents are too slight for some people, but still remains a delightful experiece especially for the fans of the two leads. And don't forget the cameo of Rose's ex-boyfriend Sergeo played by Sergi Lopez, whose creepy performance fascinated us in thriller "With a Friend Like Harry." So, Rose was dating with that Harry, huh.
Movie Review: Sweet Romance
Summary: 4 Stars
Juliet Binoche is "Rose", a beautician waiting for a flight to a new job and life in Acapulco, Mexico. Her "baggage" is a boyfiend (Sergi Lopez) in bad need of an anger management class. Jean Reno is "Felix," a confirmed misanthrope, on his way to a funeral in Munich for the mother of an ex-wife. His "baggage" is his father, a master French chef of fine cuisine living in Burgundy. The father's constant disapproval of Felix's cuisine inventions has discouraged Felix from being a fine cuisine chef himself.
Felix is a successful but much less than happy frozen food executive with two failed relationships with women when he meets Rose. Both Felix and Rose are stranded in a Paris airport for the night due to a transit strike, faulty airline computers, and bad weather. Felix loans Rose his cellphone when they accidentally bump into each other as strangers.
Most of the inter-personal drama between Rose and Felix takes place at the airport Hilton where Felix is put up for the night by the airline because he is flying first class. He reluctantly invites Binoche, who gives a first impression of being nothing more than cosmetic, to share the room non-romantically after he sees her trying to settle down to sleep in seats in the airport and takes pity on her.
Casting Binoche as a beautician whose life revolves around makeup is inspired. It gives the camera many opportunities to persistently focus on one of the most beautiful faces in modern cinema. Even when she takes her makeup off Binoche is an exquisite beauty. She is also a surprisingly good romantic comic.
The deep-voiced Reno manages to look jet-lagged, world-weary, and handsome all at the same time. His Felix finds Binoche by turns mundane and fascinating. Her homespun wisdom changes him, of course, for the better. True love cannot be denied even though we see a couple so seemingly poorly matched at the beginning of the movie.
If you don't mind English subtitles in this French film it is well worth adding to your collection. The musical director even manages to effectively slip in a little of the plaintive music from "Midnight Cowboy" toward the end of the movie. This film is highly romantic and entertaining. It is also priced right on Amazon.
Movie Review: "If we don't get involved in other's lives we end up lonely"
Summary: 4 Stars
In JET LAG two strangers meet under unusual circumstances in a crowded and chaotic Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris. As a result of various labor union strikes flights are either delayed or cancelled while travelers are impatient and nerves are frayed. Rose first approaches Felix in the airport terminal to borrow his phone after she accidentally dropped her cell phone down the toilet. There is certainly no "love at first sight" for these two individuals, and they even succeed in getting on each other's nerves. But each time they say goodbye they end up bumping into each other at a different time and place in the airport. Each appears to have little in common Felix and Rose have little in common other than being stuck in an airport. Felix is a twice-divorced idiosyncratic man who has immigrated to New York and detests everything about his native country. On the other hand, Rose is a woman who feels naked without makeup and is escaping an abusive boyfriend. But as time progresses they warm up to each other and form a meaningful friendship. What really makes this film work is that they form a bond based on their differences and they begin to appreciate and understand each other's lived experiences. Their relationship isn't based on lust and sex but rather delves deeper into emotional longing to be understood and affirmed in the modern world. As the film progresses they become more connected and appreciated in each other's company. In JET LAG Juliette Binoche delivers another wonderful performance that his indicative of her successful film career in French cinema. It is always a pleasure to watch her perform as she rarely plays the same character repeatedly. This film is fun to watch and is a good diversion for a cozy night inside in front of the television. JET LAG is described as a "romantic comedy" but I believe it delves deeper and says volumes more than other films in this genre. Enjoy!Movie Review: Airport
Summary: 4 Stars
Juliette Binoche and Jean Reno are the protagonists in "Jet Lag," a melancholy and sad story about two people who fall in love through no fault of their own. They do everything to avoid it but ultimately cannot, due to the inevitability of fate and an over-riding sense of being in the right place at the right time (or the wrong place at the wrong time).Binoche as Rose is a down on her luck Cosmetician who has decided to flee a bad relationship and fly to Acapulco and Reno is Felix , trying to fly to Munich to hook up with his supposed girl friend. Needless to say, neither makes it to their destination.
Director Daniele Thompson keeps it light and airy and banks on the screen personas of both Binoche and Reno to set the mood and tone of the film. Initially Reno looks at Binoche as an overly made-up bimbo while Binoche looks at Reno as an anal-retentive Bureaucrat. Both are right but come to realize that, though they are initially wrong for each other, are unavoidably, ultimately and cosmically destined to be with each other.
Binoche and Reno trade on their patented dramatic personas and turn in slyly comic performances that are psychologically true. "Decalage Horaire" (Jet Lag) is a story of what happens when two emotionally weary and frozen people are willing to let their guards down and allow Love to enter their lives. It's a story as old as time but nonetheless feels fresh here because of the truthfulness and emotionally emphatic performances of Binoche and Reno.
Movie Review: Another Parisian Surprise
Summary: 4 Stars
JET LAG is a rare treat. It is a smart, saucy film that takes two well known actors and gives then a chance to play different types and the result is very successful.Juliette Binouche steps into the tacky clothes and glitzy makeup of a superficial loquacious beautician who needs her makeup, perfumes, and wacky clothes to complete her 'self', an unlucky-at-love waif on her way to Acapulco from the Charles DeGaulle airport. She encounters a neurotic, fastidious (except for his groungy hair and beard) chef play by the usually dark 'hitman' Jean Reno and because of strikes in the Paris airlines and trains preventing scheduled flights, she agrees to share a room wiht him for the night until their separate flights are available. Well, of course, the 'odd couple' find subtle but strong needs in the opposite persons and the way their rather bizarre cohabitation results in their mutual and individual awakenings is the source of the plot and the delight for the viewer. Both Binouche and Reno create indelible characters and their transformations are wise and wonderful.. A definite 'feel good' movie - and we certainly need films like this as warm entertainment. Kudos to director Danielle Thompson for uncovering other layers in these two fine actors' gifts.