Impardonnables (2011) Reviews

• Unforgiven

  jotix1002013-06-01

  Andre Techine's 2011 film "Impardonnable" was shown recently on a cable channel. The idea of a new production by M. Techine, as well as the people involved in it, was a deciding factor for our interest in watching it. Sadly to say, the film is a disappointment, compared with better, more accomplished films by the director. The main problem is one of credibility. The premise sounds false from start to finish, but we went along hoping for the best, a promise that alas, did not pan out as expected. Supposedly, this picture is based on a novel by Philippe Dijan, which of course, we have not read. M. Techine and his collaborator, Mehdi Ben Attia, have tried injecting some life into the proceedings, with mixed results. The excellent Andre Dussolier, seen as Francis, has the unfortunate task to give life to the blocked crime writer who comes to Venice to get out of his funk. Instead, he gets involved into an affair with a younger woman, Judith, played with multi talented Carole Bouquet. Their love affair does not make much sense, and since doubt enters his mind, the writer engages Anna Maria, a private investigator, a woman who was Judith's lover to look into her imaginary affair that has been bothering Francis. Andre Dussolier had the difficult assignment of baring it all in a couple of nude scenes, where a much modest Carole Bouquet keeps on her clothes. One can hope the next film by Andre Techine will find him in a different frame of mind.

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• Only If you're not tired of overly sexualized French relationship drama's

  MdlndeHond2012-11-22

  Nothing new at the French Horizon. Former player/writer with a writers block passes his time spying on his wife, his ex wife and his daughter. Meanwhile 'shocking' scenes are intended with a little bit of homosexuality for every character, un peu de violence of course, and let's not forget unsettling parent/child dialogues you can always count on. Maybe this is all needed to fill up the rather lengthy runtime. I seriously can not stand another French dragon like this. What is their obsession with homosexuality, sex and sour relationships in their cinema. For me this is the last one. It probably is a hit at the festivals but I can do without it.

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• Why Should I Care About These Unlikable Characters?

  larrys32013-01-08

  This French drama was directed and co-written by one of the stalwarts of the French film industry Andre Techine. It has an all-star cast which includes the veteran award winning actor Andre Dussollier and the very talented Carole Bouquet. At the outset, Dussollier portraying Francis a famous crime novelist, has come to Venice to rest and hopefully write his next book. He meets Bouquet, the real estate agent showing him possible living accommodations, and they seem to hit it off. This takes place amidst the spectacular cinematography of the outlying waterways of Venice, where both ocean liners and small boats co-exist. He says he will rent the very expensive home she's showing him if she will move in with him. After thinking about it and consulting with a friend, and former lover of hers (portrayed by Adriana Asti), she accepts. However, we quickly learn this idyllic setting in the early parts of the film will not last long. As various characters come in and out of the movie, I found almost all of them to be very unlikeable and some of their actions to be actually despicable. For example, when Dussollier's daughter (portrayed by Melanie Thierry) comes to visit him and Bouquet, who are now married, she ends up completely disappearing and abandoning her young daughter and husband. When Dussollier hires Asti, a former Private Investigator, to find her Asti discovers she has run off with a drug dealer. Later, Thierry ends up sending her father a porno tape of her and the drug dealer just to infuriate him, as apparently they've had a long history of conflicts. This is just one example of many. The acting and the dialogue are strong and as mentioned the cinematography is wonderful, but I found by the end of the movie I really didn't care what happened to any of these people. Also, a note of caution: There is a scene in the film where a dog is suddenly murdered and I found this to be brutal to have witnessed. In summary, this French drama left me as cold and unfeeling as the people in it.

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• Anyone for Venice?

  bob9982015-09-16

  For forty years now, Andre Techine has made films that have delighted me (Les roseaux sauvages, Les voleurs) or annoyed me (Le lieu du crime, Rendez-vous). He seems to be on safe ground when he deals with homosexuality, the need for family ties, and beautiful surroundings (here he can film Venice in all its splendour). He flounders when dealing with straight relationships: what is going on between Dussolier and Bouquet, anyway?-- they seem to be in different films. Carole Bouquet is so splendid to look at that I can forgive almost any deficiency in the script in order to drink in that lovely face. Adriana Asti (Gina in Before the Revolution, the film that moved me more than any other) has the best line: "You turn everybody on but nobody turns you on!" It's so true, you admit ruefully. Melanie Thierry has a small part as Dussolier's daughter and leaves a good impression.

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• Complacent look at ugly feelings

  jrocheman2013-11-28

  This movie is about love relations with voyeurism. Husband and wife, daughter and father have no other aim than the blunt show of their sexual ineptitude going adrift. Add to this that the other themes are about hopelessness and dissatisfaction, disrespect and bad communication, etc... This is boring, just a bad idea, bad ideas. Venice is great, nevertheless, as a character in itself, beside that the actors are great too. Bad time spent watching this even if Dussolier plays perfectly the sad father and husband, hiding feelings with bitterness so well, but Sorry All the other movies of André Techiné are better than this one.

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