Saw this at the Mill Valley Film Festival. The actor who plays the main character, Joseph, is a grandson of Charlie Chaplin and there is a significant resemblance both in face (Chaplin was a very handsome man without the Little Tramp makeup) and acrobatic grace.
Much of the film takes place in an early 20th century European circus. The story was inspired by a Kafka story about a circus performer who refuses to leave his trapeze (in the story, you never learn why).The film is beautifully photographed and has many exquisite effects, but the melodramatic plot and lame dialog resulted in many unintended laughs as far as I was concerned (but nearby audience members were eating it up, so different strokes for different folks). Jodhi May badly cast as gypsy with a heart of gold. Director Savary spoke at film fest and said he believes in as little dialog as possible; to that end, he didn't bother to subtitle several sequences in which characters spoke French or English. That's okay, what dialog there is was pretty bad. I'd say this director is all eye, no ear. Derek Jacobi chews the scenery (he's supposed to, character-wise, but it's a badly written character).
Much of the film takes place in an early 20th century European circus. The story was inspired by a Kafka story about a circus performer who refuses to leave his trapeze (in the story, you never learn why).The film is beautifully photographed and has many exquisite effects, but the melodramatic plot and lame dialog resulted in many unintended laughs as far as I was concerned (but nearby audience members were eating it up, so different strokes for different folks). Jodhi May badly cast as gypsy with a heart of gold. Director Savary spoke at film fest and said he believes in as little dialog as possible; to that end, he didn't bother to subtitle several sequences in which characters spoke French or English. That's okay, what dialog there is was pretty bad. I'd say this director is all eye, no ear. Derek Jacobi chews the scenery (he's supposed to, character-wise, but it's a badly written character).