Wolff rating: GOOD
Plot summary: Orphans and a circus strongman investigate a kidnapping in an eerie broken-down city.
Biased, pithy comments: If everyone spoke with clipped British accents instead of speaking in grunted French, I'd have guessed this was a Terry Gilliam Film. However, Caro and Jeunet surpass even him visually now and then in this exploration of a moist, humid clockwork-and-Victorian world of the cults of blindness, clones, and nightmares. The dreariness is punctuated by humor that is either dry or earthy, but this makes it a quirky and fascinating ride. The story doesn't quite hang together; it's sparse, leaves much unexplained, and is so overshadowed by the stunning visuals that one is left with the impression of being shown something beautiful but ultimately mysterious. Like a dream, really.
Other Notes: Probably will not be appreciated by those looking for a fast-moving story, given how slow and confused the narrative is. Whenever I see films with French children, I am always amazed by how flawless their French is. Learning French is hard, but these kids just spew it out like magic.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon.
Directed by: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet