Review of Last Days of Chez Nous, The

Introduction

This film is a classic slow-burner. You`ve got to stay tuned and let it seep in for a day or two before passing judgement. It`s essentially a film about dying love - but tackles some of the big questions about life and death too, without ever descending into real existential heaviness. In truth it`s another of those films that you can`t help marvelling at. How did it get made? Who had the confidence to finance such a fragile, gentle plot? Who would have the confidence to direct such a film? Rhythmically and stylistically this is all European, though it`s very much an Australian film.

Directed by sassy Australian Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career, Mrs. Soffel), the films greatest strength is the incredible performances of it`s principal cast. Lisa Harrow is quite brilliant as the confident, high achieving Beth - a free thinking woman of strength, representing here all that is best, and all that is worst about feminism. Married to a disgruntled, displaced Frenchman (JP - played by Swiss German Bruno Ganz) it becomes clear that despite fleeting moments of tenderness and love, all is not well in their relationship. There is little to admire about JP - he`s a less than charming middle-aged man who broods over his own dissatisfactions at the expense of all else, whilst Beth (in contrast) seems to constantly be making great efforts to keep the fire of their relationship burning. But somehow things are not quite that simple. Beth is over-bearing and over sensitive - trying too hard. JP just doesn`t try at all, yet, to a degree, our sympathy`s lie with them both. This is a relationship that is just falling apart, a tiny piece at a time.

There`s excellent support from Kerry Fox as the overshadowed younger sister Vicki, who is a simpler, less complicated animal than Beth. When Beth leaves town for a week or two to travel the desert lands with her Dad (to break his obstinacy and a lifetime of arguing with each other), JP and Vicki fall in love and begin an unstoppable affair.

There are some heart-breaking moments as the extended family, including a daughter from a previous marriage and a young male lodger, fragment and dissolve before our eyes. Like real life, as observers we await a resolution that involves everyone working it out but this film pulls no punches. It just lets the whole thing unravel.

Video

As with most `C`est La Vie` releases, there has been little effort made to the transfer. In 4:3 pan and scan you can`t help imagine what you might be missing (particularly in the desert scenes). It`s also a relatively poor print for such a recent movie with specks evident throughout. Of course, it`s easy to criticise when comparing it with a huge Hollywood sell-through, where the expense of first class digital clean-ups and transfer can be lost amongst the millions of units sold. Perhaps we should be grateful that companies like `C`est La Vie` continue to offer their range of left-of-field, non-mainstream movies at all.

Audio

The audio here is in surprisingly good shape (compared with the visual mastering) and is fresh, clear and nicely mastered at appropriate levels.

Features

There`s a Director`s commentary here, though when you select the option it`s the only audio you get so you have to be prepared to watch the film mute, other than the commentary. Director Gillian Armstrong is joined by Producer Jan Chapman and their lively banter about the making of the movie is interesting and informative, but only for the extremely dedicated!

There`s also a photo-gallery featuring a modest number of production stills (What are these for? Who views them?), Actor / Director text based biographies and a trailer for other `C`est La Vie` releases.

Conclusion

A story about the fragility of love, and the temporariness of life and all that it consists of. It boasts a superb cast, and some really fine performances and the Direction is bold and accomplished. With a lesser cast, and with less accomplished direction, this screenplay could have been a howler. It`s deep but offers no resolve. It asks questions, but offers very few answers. In fact, under normal circumstances this script would never have made it to first base (in Hollywood). I guess it`s as well that there are those in the film industry who are prepared to support courageous endeavours such as this, especially when the results are so moving. It`s not a white-knuckle ride. But it`s a damn fine movie.