Look at Me
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Movie Reviews of Look at Me
Movie Review: The need for attention
Summary: 4 Stars
Etienne Cassard (Jean-Pierre Bacri), the successful French novelist in Agnes Jaoui's "Look at Me," does not take fame very well. He hates most of the men and women who make as much money he does. He has little tolerance for people who don't understand his short temper and limited patience. He has a cruel sense of humor, which makes us question if he could have been successful in a profession other than writing; were it not for his fame, his friends and family would likely abandon him, so fed up they would be with his egotism.
Cassard's nasty temperament makes us wonder: has he always been like this? Has he always been a jerk to everyone, even his closest friends? Or is he obnoxious because he's famous, because he knows that no matter how terrible he acts, he'll have people admire him?
Another writer in the film, Pierre (Laurent Grevill), who struggles to get his novels sold at a dozen bookstores, has a personality the opposite of Cassard's. Pierre has a high tolerance for people he doesn't get along with, including his overworked wife. He's friendly with his friends and colleagues. He's well-liked and amiable, not because of his fame, but because he has a congenial character.
When Pierre finishes his latest book, he's doubtful that anyone will read it. But he gets a phone call and discovers that Cassard likes it. Cassard wants to meet Pierre. When they meet, Pierre does everything he can to please Cassard, eating food he hates, keeping his mouth shut when faced with criticism and ignoring the suggestions of his former publisher regarding the release his book. Once Pierre is faced with the prospect of fame and recognition, he's willing to abandon his old friends and his old ways. His loss of judgment and individuality don't occur to him.
"Look at Me" has a strong cast of other unique characters. Cassard's oldest daughter, Lolita, resents her father because she thinks all her relationships are built around his fame. Pierre's wife teaches singing to Lolita, and her husband's involvement with Cassard troubles her as she notices the way Pierre changes. And Cassard's wife, much younger and prettier than her husband, feels her hard work in raising their daughter is unappreciated. All the characters except Cassard share a common feeling: they all desire attention and recognition, whether it's from their spouse, their father or their colleagues. Everyone except Cassard wants their talents to be noticed, and, of course, the irony of it all is that Cassard, the one man with all the fame and attention he could ever want, hardly cares for it.
This is a very insightful film, keenly aware of the ways fame can change relationships. The two writers of the film, Bacri and Agnes Jaoui, playing the two main characters, have a clear understanding of how to juggle nearly half a dozen central characters, giving ample time for each character to move the story along or to illustrate a central theme.
"Look at Me" has a different perspective on fame from American films, showing how people change in the way they relate to one another, instead of showing how fame will stereotypically, say, make someone go on drug binges. The perception that fame can make someone delve into lots of drugs (or any other agreed-upon dangerous thing) is of course sometimes an accurate one, but it's refreshing to see this film, which focuses on the subtler ways a person can change when faced with overwhelming recognition.
Movie Review: engrossing family drama
Summary: 4 Stars
"Look at Me" is a talky but generally interesting French drama about a teenage girl's attempt to earn the love and recognition of her strangely distant father. Lolita is an overweight, aspiring singer who has lived in the shadow of her parent, a self-absorbed but successful novelist, all her life. Even though Etienne seems to care for his very young second wife and five-year-old daughter, he appears to have little interest in Lolita. Indeed, when he isn't completely ignoring her, in public or in private, he is wounding her with deprecating comments about her talent and weight. In the film's other major plot strand, Lolita's voice coach, Sylvia, is also married to an author, Pierre, who has been having trouble getting published of late, until she uses Lolita to secure him an introduction to the young protégé's father.
For the most part, "Look at Me" doesn't go for big flashy dramatic scenes but rather tells its story in a low-keyed way by having its characters interacting in traditionally continental social settings like restaurants, taxicabs and vacation homes in the country. Virtually all the characters suffer from some form of unhappiness or depression caused by their inability to create the lives they want. Lolita spends most of her time brooding over the fact that she can't get her father to acknowledge her existence, let alone support her in her endeavors. One of Lolita's biggest complaints is that people - and that includes boys - tend to befriend her solely as a means of "getting to" her famous father. Even her music teacher uses her for that purpose (though this is one time when Lolita seems unaware of it). So paranoid has Lolita become on this score that she even keeps at arm's length a young man who is obviously genuinely interested in having a relationship with her. The two authors, to varying degrees, have feelings of inadequacy and frustration brought on by either self-doubt about their talent or the fear that have begun to "dry up" as a writer.
For the most part, this is a compelling tale about people who feed off one another and compromise their values to get what they want. Etienne is, in many ways, the most interesting character because he seems genuinely unaware of the callous way he treats others, but he is also the most frustrating in that some of his most boorish actions in regards to his daughter don't always ring totally true. For instance, it is highly unlikely that even he would get up and leave in the middle of his daughter's concert performance to take a stroll outside, then completely ignore her at a party he throws for her afterwards. Too often, we feel as if he is being mean and thoughtless more as a plot device than as a genuine reflection of his character. The film's other intriguing secondary character is Sylvia, the music teacher, who really seems to be the voice of conscience in the story.
Despite that flaw, "Look at Me" succeeds more often than not at weaving a complex tapestry out of a variety of interesting and colorful characters. To that end, the film features fine ensemble work by Marilou Berry, Jean-Pierre Bacri and Agnes Jaoui, who also co-wrote and directed the movie.
Movie Review: What price glory?
Summary: 4 Stars
COMME UNE IMAGE (LOOK AT ME) is a tough little film that practically defies the viewer to love it. Rated as a comedy, it has few chuckles of the usual kind, but the smart tidy script delivers more of the Reformation-type comedy - wit with a bite. Writer/director and star Agnès Jaoui (her co-author is her ex-husband Jean-Pierre Bacri who also stars) is obviously an intelligent, observant, caustic chronicler of contemporary French society who dotes on celebrities at the expense of their own self-respect. Not a single character in this film is likeable, but each one is fascinatingly interesting and a bit warped. Their interaction provides the venom that in Jaoui's hands raises the bar on the range of comedy.
Étienne Cassard (Jean-Pierre Bacri) is a famous writer whose latest novel has been 'transformed' into a schmaltzy film about which he is loathsomely embarrassed. He is caustic, acerbic, and emotionally negligent of both his grown obese daughter Lolita (Marilou Berry), who devotes her resentful life in an attempt to being a famous concert singer, and to his new wife Karine (Virginie Desarnauts) and little daughter. Lolita's music coach is Sylvia (Agnès Jaoui) whose demands on her students reflect her frustrated life being married to an unknown author Pierre (Laurent Grévill). Odd paths cross and it is through Lolita's influence as the daughter of a famous writer Étienne that Sylvia arranges for Pierre to join forces with Étienne and gain acceptance and popularity, but the consequences include Sylvia's increased tutelage for Lolita and her group of fellow madrigal singers.
Lolita comes the closest to being a character about whom we care. She is distraught about her weight, her distant father, her stepmother and stepsister, her inability to gain the affection for the boy of her dreams, her struggle to become a significant performer - all of which prevents her from recognizing the man who could salvage it all - Sébastien (Keine Bouhiza) who literally falls at her feet!
All of these characters interact in complex and at times trying ways, ever cognizant of the 'authority of celebrity' and the results of these engagements form the body of the film. The acting is on a high level, the dialogue is crisp and smart, and the musical background for this mélange is a gorgeous mixture of classical music ranging from Buxtehude through Schubert ('An die Musik' plays a big role!) and many others. This 'comedy' is more intellectual than entertaining, but if wit and elegance of acting brings you joy, then this is a film to see. In French with subtitles at a long 2 hours! Grady Harp, August 05
Movie Review: Intruiging French talk-drama
Summary: 4 Stars
I love foreign movies and I happen to pick this up from my local library the other day.
"Comme Une Image" (2004; 110 min.; released in the US as "Look At Me") is a very French movie, and by that I mean there is a LOT of talking going on throughout the movie, without seemingly a lot of plot moving. But that is quite deceiving. There are a number of subplots all developing at the same time, such as: a daughter's struggling relationship with her father who is successful in the literally field, both as a writer and a publisher; a writer who publishes a successful book after many struggles and gets torn between leaving his long-time publisher and going to a more prominent publisher (the father of the girl mentioned earlier), and I'm leaving out several other relationship tracks developing in the movie. As the movie goes on, I started to realize that a LOT was going on, even though there seems to be so much "talking".
This is the 2nd movie directed by well-known French actress Agnes Ajoui (who plays the wife of the suddenly successful writer in the movie), and quite well done at that. She directed another movie in 2008 "Parlez-moi de la Pluie", which I will be sure to check out. Special kudos for the performance of Marilou Berry , who is outstanding as the struggling daughter seeking the approval of her father. In all, I really enjoyd this movie from start to finish.
Movie Review: Triple Triumph
Summary: 4 Stars
The breath of fresh air - refined, funny, ironic, in the best traditions of the Chekhov's plays, this movie is a triple triumph for its writer/director/star Agnes Jaoui. "Look at me" is the story of 20 years old Lolita (rarely a name mismatches a girl so much. Lolita is a pudgy young woman with a very low self-esteem even though she's got a beautiful voice and passion for singing) who desperately craves her father's attention. Ironically, her father, one of the most famous writers in France, known for his deep, observant and subtle novels is an arrogant, self-centered, and self-involved man who hardly acknowledges Lolita - just to criticize her. He never finds time to listen to the tape Lolita made especially for him in hope to get his interest and approval. The beauty of the script and the movie is that Agnes Jaoui does not use only black or white colors to paint her characters. They turn with their different facets to the viewers and the film itself is a precious gem. The acting is superb by everyone. As a bonus treat, we will hear some of the most beautiful music every written, including the pieces by Monteverdi and Handel.
9/10