Bord de mer (2002)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Julie Lopes-Curval

Writers:

François Favrat (writer)
Julie Lopes-Curval (writer)

Release Date:

4 December 2002 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Seaside takes place in a small coastal town on the Bay of Somme. The year-round inhabitants find ways to make their lives work; Paul...

Plot Keywords:

Lifeguard | Factory | Seaside | Family Relationships | Grandfather Grandson Relationship

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Bulle Ogier	...	Rose
Ludmila Mikaël	...	Anne
Hélène Fillières	...	Marie
Jonathan Zaccaï	...	Paul
Patrick Lizana	...	Albert
Liliane Rovère	...	Odette
Emmanuelle Lepoutre	...	Albertine
Fabien Orcier	...	Jacquot
Jauris Casanova	...	Pierre
Audrey Bonnet	...	Lilas
Jean-Michel Noirey	...	Robert
Jacqueline Carpentier	...	Denise
Alexandra Mercouroff	...	Lucille
Antonia Ortu	...	La serveuse de bar
Nathalie Pannel	...	La femme notable

Also Known As:

Le requin (France) (working title)
Seaside (International: English title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | USA:Not Rated | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Cayeux-sur-Mer, Somme, France

Company:

Canal+

Movie Connections:

References Jaws (1975)

a boring movie about boring people in a boring town

Films about the mundane are often the most interesting of all films to me, in the hands of an insightful artist who examines all the twisted little details of the mundane. The French cinema seems to often be very good at this sort of thing, and I love the French cinema.

This film was about the mundane. It didn't have a much of a plot. It was just characters who lived in a town, very normal people, and stuff just happened. But it wasn't very interesting stuff, and it wasn't examined very insightfully. The film did capture a bit of a mood, but it wasn't a particularly captivating mood. And while I can't think of much that the film did specifically wrong, it failed on just about every level to do anything right.

There were a lot of characters in this film. A lot of them kind of looked alike, so it was hard to figure out who was who, and what were their relations to one another. I don't mind putting some effort into understanding a film, or even watching an especially complex film more than one time to iron out the details, but this one was a puzzle not worth the solving for me.

The only good thing I can really say about this film is that the cinematography was pleasant--functional, not brilliant, but pleasant. The camera often captured some nice postcard-type shots. But it rarely found the really interesting little details.

I've seen a handful of not-so-good films so far at the Seattle International Film Festival, but this was the only one that failed to get any applause when the credits rolled. I sensed a big collective sigh of relief when the film was finally over. But I suppose there are probably some people out there who would like it.

4/10