A different way of telling a story

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

one of Francois Ozon films. this is the most inspired definition for the embroidery of love, appearances, eroticism and meet with a classic fairy tale in new adaptation. a film who ignores taboos and who has the right seduction tools for impress. a couple, a murder and a meet. and the atmosphere who reminds a lot of similar stories but defines a great thriller. a film who has many virtue but not the status of comfortable film.the lead trait - science of Ozon to create fascinating games , like spider web, for define every day aspects of society.the other significant detail - the meet with Predrag Manojlovic, one of familiar figures from the films of Kusturica, here performing one of characters who, for a part from us, reminds large slices from childhood.

I saw this film about 2 hours ago and I thought definitely merited a comment. Classic Ozon, it's got it all- dark humour, enough sexuality to satisfy even the most European of film goers, suspense and pathos.The film follows the story of Alice and her boyfriend Luc as they subsequently kill their classmate, go on the run and end up being imprisoned by a seemingly psychotic although rather sentimental woodsman.The story is fragmented: the immediate events and flashback sequences. These flashbacks are initially really well placed and effective as they progressively provide further and further insight into how the couple come to be where they are, their motivations and especially the nature of their relationship. The pacing is great in the first 3 quarters of the film though as past and present catch up to one another the film lags a little due to repetitiveness and a pretty useless dream sequence.Presented from the first frame as the driving force, Alice is in control. She convinces Luc that the beguiling Said had his friends gang rape her and is now blackmailing her into having sex with him for fear of photos of the incident surfacing.The first act is seemingly pretty serious- the violent murder of Said, the lengthy process of transporting his body to bury it, the panicked arguments of the two and the robbing of the jewellery store. This is all really enjoyable due to the humour and the absurdity of the situation: Alice walking around the supermarket in a blood-stained dress with a giant shovel and Luc shoving cookies down his pants. While burying the body, we are made aware that someone has seen them do it. This is foreshadowed earlier so it's pretty expected but only as the two realise they're being watched do things begin to escalate. After getting lost, Luc stumbles on the woodsman's cabin. Hungry and desperate, they break in only to be caught red-handed by the odious woodsman himself.The second act sees the story take a darker turn as the woodsman locks them both in the cellar. Now it gets interesting as the woodsman reads Alice's diary. Now we're introduced to the series of flashbacks. These are particularly effective in establishing Luc and Alice as a somewhat dysfunctional, mismatched but close couple. Luc is completely endearing as the pragmatic virgin, the essentially good guy swayed by the oversexed, demanding and manipulative Alice who parallels Julie in Swimming Pool. Said is great as the playboy of ambiguous sexuality who fascinates them both and who's only real crime is of having a one track mind. We follow Luc and Alice as she conceives of the crime and he plays along, initially hesitant but persuaded by the love he has for Alice and the red-herring rape photo fabrication.Reading the diary and gauging Alice pretty aptly, the woodsman warms to Luc and frees him from the cellar, supposedly because he "likes his girls with nothing but muscle and skin over their bones and his boys soft and round". Here begins the relationship of Luc and the woodsman which I personally find as interesting as that of Luc and Alice. Chained by the neck, Luc hasn't much more freedom than Alice but slowly the woodsman proverbially reins him in.The final act sees the escape of Luc and Alice from the woodsman, albeit with his quiet consent, and the subsequent capture of the two after an idealised love scene (this presents a quasi-epiphany for Luc) and a rampant chase through the woods. Luc is caught by the police but urging Alice to go on without him, she eventually is stopped by the river and gets her brains blasted out. This I didn't care about in the slightest but when the woodsman is arrested and violently apprehended Luc is seen screaming from the paddy wagon to let him go I pretty much cried a bucket's worth.The script is great, especially enjoyable are the fights between Luc and Alice as well as their lighter moments (after robbing the jewellery store Alice complains they should have robbed the bakery, they could have gotten croissants).The cinematography//lighting//directing largely matched the tone, there was some excellent juxtaposition and some beautiful shots (Luc's fingers on the headboard, Alice's bedroom) although there were some frustrating cuts, including the later flashbacks, and some self-indulgent drawn out sequences (the blood- every time). The editing fell short at the end as the audience really awaits a wrapping up of loose ends rather than just reiteration. Also somewhat frustrating is the lack of distinct character motivation. I just can't believe someone would kill someone because the wanted some drama. This isn't Murder By Numbers, although it is Ozon and this is ultimately not really the crux of the film.Basically the great elements are the relationships of the three leads, whose performances, especially Jeremie Renier's, leave nothing to be desired. In no way does the script or the acting allow for a two dimensional view of the pairings. Never do you get the impression the relationships are merely predator/prey or leader/follower.

Ozon has cooked up an intriguing exercise. Drawing from eclectic sources ranging from Grimm's fairy tales, through Walt Disney to Bonnie and Clyde, (just to name a few), it becomes a curious amalgam.The problem is, as interesting as it may well be, Ozon lacks the artistry to utilize all the elements towards an overall vision. He seems much more interested in the bits rather than the whole. This over indulgence with the ideas themselves weakens the effect of the film as a whole.There's much room for interpretation (as with all fairy tales), but owing to the general lack of cohesiveness of this work, one cannot take this all too seriously, since ultimately this is not a movie worthy of serious consideration, despite it's ambitious pretensions. Jeremie Renier has the most interesting and difficult part to play, being both sexually and morally conflicted. It's a well controlled and powerful performance."Criminal Lovers" has the makings of a fascinating movie but Ozon lacks the skill in weaving the elements together. It's the craft that separates the good from the great film makers.

If you haven't yet discovered France's new infant terrible, François Ozon, this would be a most excellent place to start: Les Amants Criminels is perhaps his best feature-length film thus far, a supremely accomplished work of incredible daring and depth. The story isn't linear - it jumps back and forth from past to present, revealing details slowly, very Scorpionic - and by the end of it, your feelings towards the two main characters have changed tremendously. And as in all Ozon films, the casting is impeccable, particularly the two leads: Jérémie Rénier as Luc, and Natacha Régnier as Alice. You can get the DVD online - make sure you get the Strand Releasing version, with the subtitles.