Marie (played by Alix Vaillot) is a young girl with an eye condition that is causing her to gradually lose her sight. Victor (played by Jean-Stan du Pac), a classmate, is in love with her, even though it takes him a while to admit it. He doesn\u2019t have any vision problems\u2014instead, he struggles with his inability to get good grades. A friendship\u2014and eventually a romance\u2014develops between Victor and Marie, as she tutors him and he helps her hide her condition so she can participate in the competition she\u2019s been dreaming of: a cello audition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The story promises to be gripping\u2014it\u2019s based on a novel, after all. Yet the film, which hit theaters today, has so many flaws that it\u2019s heartbreaking. The direction is a failure\u2014that\u2019s one point everyone can agree on. Le Monde,<\/em>\u00a0T\u00e9l\u00e9rama<\/em> and most other media outlets, in addition to\u00a0Le Regard Libre<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n First of all, the film portrays overly exaggerated conflicts: a rich, intelligent young woman falls in love with a poor, good-for-nothing guy. Michel Boujenah\u2019s film also focuses too much on children and their innocence. All the adults\u2014except perhaps the ophthalmologist\u2014come across as uninteresting people who don\u2019t understand \u00abreal life\u00bb: music and love. Marie\u2019s father, played by Charles Berling, embodies the archetype of these foolish adults. Despite these questionable artistic choices, the film could have met the expectations of contemporary moviegoers\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, but\u2026 Whether we look at the screenplay or the music, whether we consider the film\u2019s dramatic structure or the actors\u2019 performances, we have to admit that we\u2019re dealing with sheer blandness. The melodies? Sycophantic, not sweet. The dialogue? Simplistic, not simple. The acting? Over-the-top, not outstanding. Everything seems to converge into a sort of self-satisfaction within French dramedy, as if the genre were self-sufficient and never needed to question itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n