Seen in the Toronto International Film Festival, with personal appearance of director Francois Ozon and lead Romola Garai. And the Festival is indeed a case in point for globalization, with among other things two film in French directed respectively by a Taiwanese and a Canadian, and French director Ozon directing his first film in English (English, that is, not a funny language called "American"). But I digress.
Whether you like Francois Ozon's films, you can't deny that he has a way of grabbing your attention, with films such as haunting "Sous le sable", playful "8 femmes" and surreal "Swimming Pool". Bad news, Ozon admirers, as "Angel" comes considerable short compared with any of these remarkable (if not all superb) films.
For his first venture in English language filming, Ozon teams up with Elizabeth Taylor (not that one). "Team up" is perhaps not a totally accuracy description because this is the late Elizabeth Taylor, a little-known writer who died more than 30 years ago and whose novels are out-of-print. To Ozon, however, "The real live of Angel Deverell" "was like 'Gone with the wind'".
Watching "Angel" in the Elgin Theatre in downtown Toronto (where I had watched "Cats" four time), I couldn't help but wonder if Ozon was just looking for ANY story that he could use to parody "Gone with the wind". The stories are actually quite different, but Ozon uses every opportunity to parody. My memory of GWTW is rather vague but there are a couple of scenes in "Angel" when Scarlett O'Hara pops right out of the picture. Judging from the chuckles and laughter of mirth from my fellow audience (many at places when they are expected to sob or sigh) I suspect that there are a lot more that I have missed (as well as parodies of other Hollywood classics too).
But what is the point, other than showcasing some glamorous set pieces and gorgeous costumes reminiscent of Hollywood in the 40s and 50s? Not much. The story of a totally unattractive girl (character-wise) rising to stardom through a series of romance novels she pens is uninteresting. Her mindless possessiveness of a man (a painter) purported to have talents but no breaks is cliché. Typically Ozon, the element of homosexuality in hinted, if not elaborated, here between her and the man's sister who is devoted to her. Maybe, as some suggest, the whole thing is to show how this girl lives in the dream world from which she awakes, ironically, only at the call of death. But with none of the characters worth feeling for, the whole thing falls apart.
I maintain that perhaps Ozon is trying too hard to impress the English speaking audience, and it backfires. Romola Garai, so well received in "I capture the castle" (2003) has tried hard to bring life to a title role that is somewhat hollow, a thankless job. Ozon's favourite Charlotte Rampling (mesmerizing in "Sous le sable") is nothing more than a cameo, playing the publisher's wife. Oh yes, Sam Neill who plays the publisher is getting to look and "feel" more and more like James Mason.
Whether you like Francois Ozon's films, you can't deny that he has a way of grabbing your attention, with films such as haunting "Sous le sable", playful "8 femmes" and surreal "Swimming Pool". Bad news, Ozon admirers, as "Angel" comes considerable short compared with any of these remarkable (if not all superb) films.
For his first venture in English language filming, Ozon teams up with Elizabeth Taylor (not that one). "Team up" is perhaps not a totally accuracy description because this is the late Elizabeth Taylor, a little-known writer who died more than 30 years ago and whose novels are out-of-print. To Ozon, however, "The real live of Angel Deverell" "was like 'Gone with the wind'".
Watching "Angel" in the Elgin Theatre in downtown Toronto (where I had watched "Cats" four time), I couldn't help but wonder if Ozon was just looking for ANY story that he could use to parody "Gone with the wind". The stories are actually quite different, but Ozon uses every opportunity to parody. My memory of GWTW is rather vague but there are a couple of scenes in "Angel" when Scarlett O'Hara pops right out of the picture. Judging from the chuckles and laughter of mirth from my fellow audience (many at places when they are expected to sob or sigh) I suspect that there are a lot more that I have missed (as well as parodies of other Hollywood classics too).
But what is the point, other than showcasing some glamorous set pieces and gorgeous costumes reminiscent of Hollywood in the 40s and 50s? Not much. The story of a totally unattractive girl (character-wise) rising to stardom through a series of romance novels she pens is uninteresting. Her mindless possessiveness of a man (a painter) purported to have talents but no breaks is cliché. Typically Ozon, the element of homosexuality in hinted, if not elaborated, here between her and the man's sister who is devoted to her. Maybe, as some suggest, the whole thing is to show how this girl lives in the dream world from which she awakes, ironically, only at the call of death. But with none of the characters worth feeling for, the whole thing falls apart.
I maintain that perhaps Ozon is trying too hard to impress the English speaking audience, and it backfires. Romola Garai, so well received in "I capture the castle" (2003) has tried hard to bring life to a title role that is somewhat hollow, a thankless job. Ozon's favourite Charlotte Rampling (mesmerizing in "Sous le sable") is nothing more than a cameo, playing the publisher's wife. Oh yes, Sam Neill who plays the publisher is getting to look and "feel" more and more like James Mason.