Weighing in at 2 hours 40 this has proved tough for even native French to unravel but it's interesting enough to make an effort. Despite track records of thirty some and forty some films to their respective credits both Mathieu Almaric and Manu Devos remain relatively unknown especially outside France which is a shame because both are fine performers, witness the Best Actress Cesar awarded to Devos for Sur Mes Levres. Part of the problem here is the dual story lines. Devos and Almaric were once an item but that time is long gone. Now, musician Almaric is serving his time in a mental hospital and is obsessed with escape even as Devos puts her own life on hold to care for her father in his dotage. Catherine Deneuve is on hand as the psychiatrist on Almaric's case and we are treated to long, lingering close shots of her flawless face in what almost qualifies as product placement for Botox. It's difficult to say whether it could have been made a tad clearer just what was going on and/or which story we were monitoring at a given time, arguably it's a film that needs several viewings to evaluate fully and whilst that's okay by me the popcorn brigade will hardly be so tolerant.
Review of Kings & Queen
