This one's a beautiful, tender, quiet romantic drama with a moody atmosphere, set in a tight knit Welsh fishing community. It's a touching story about a man waking up sexually in the middle of his life, and how he, his family, and everyone around him deal with it, which makes it emotional and sentimental without ever getting over the top. The slow burn plays out against a landscape that's as bleak as it is gorgeous, where quiet, closed off men are stuck inside rigid ideas of what masculinity should be. Some people might be reminded of "God's Own Country," but I think both films are lovely in their own way. Jack is a middle aged guy who co-owns a mussel farm with his rough around the edges brother Dyfan, and the tension between the two of them is simmering under the surface right from the start. Dyfan's three sons all help out with the work, while Jack's sulky teenage son Tom keeps skipping out. Jack's been with his wife since they were both 16, and...
The best thing about this film is that it is only some 50 odd minutes. The film set in a old factory in France for some reasons makes it for a delightful watching. I still cant figure out why I liked watching this film because there was nothing extraordinary about it, in fact it moves at a very slow pace. I hope by the time I finish writing this piece, I might have a better idea.
An old factory is going to close soon in France. A worker Jacques arrives in the factory which now has only a handful (5-6 to be precise) who know that in a week's time they wont have a job. Jacques is supposed to dismantle the machines and pack them so that they can leave the next week. All the workers share a special bonding with each other. Jacques experiences an alluring instant attraction to his boss Donand. He doesn't know what to do about it. An old guy in the worker group Guiraudie figures out that this worker likes men and tells him that he cannot get Donand but Jacques is really attracted and says he cant help to not think about it even though he might not be able to get it. There is a scene where the Jacques gets to touch Donand's penis but he quickly backs away. In the final scene, Guiraudie offers himself to the worker but he refuses but they still talk. The week is over and everyone is now going for one final dinner and drinks.
The best thing about this movie was that the movie grows up from male bonding to male understanding in a trying situation. No judgements are made on anyone's sexual preferences. The gay-themed twist is striking for how it naturally bubbles up to the surface, and resolves in an unforced and gently open direction. You can try to figure out few pieces of generation gaps and homosexual relationships if you watch this film closely. The film definitely is filled with some low-key eroticism but that makes it exciting. The acting by every single person is just so natural. You feel as if there is a hidden camera in the factory and you are just witnessing interactions between a few men in the factory. It is very real and believable. Some of the dialogues between Guiraudie and Jacques regarding trying to get something when you cant were awesome. If you have worked in a factory a slightest bit (like I have had in my life), you will be more able to connect with this. Staged with a masterly eye for detail, environment and the unexpected quirks in human behavior, no wonder this film was major contender in that years cannes film festival.
Not sure whether it was the simplicity or realistic portrayal of the film but I really liked it. The short duration was icing on the cake. (6.5/10)
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