esrosedotblog

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Today's film was Jacques Audiard's

The Beat That My Heart Skipped.

A NYTimes Critics' Pick.

I have seen this three of four times.

Why?

Well, I played the piano and wanted to play it better. That is one thing. Always competition from other things. I took lessons several times.

But it was not the conflict that appears for Romain Duris, the wonderful young actor who inhabits this role of a thug with an artistic gift.

His mother was a concert pianist and his dad is a two bit real estate manipulator who is in over his head. Our man carries both genes.

This is a remake of Fingers with Harvey Keitel which I watched along with this one the last time I had it. But much more artistically made. Better everything. Acting, production values, cinematography, the works.

Duris shows the conflict within until we see him make peace with himself and then have to settle one more score until he can put his Dad in his own resting place as well.

The satisfaction of the ending is enormous.

I just love this movie to hell.

I notice some similarities to my admiration for the film Diva and this one. The underworld combined with fine art. The conflict of innocence in the face of evil. The guy who solves the problem being able to have a foot in both worlds. And consummate artistry in the production.

So. What does that make me? I don't know. But these are my two favorite films right now. And for quite a long time.

I admire Audiard's other work as well since it visits the same theme of the fork in the road. In Read My Lips there is actually a third way to take. In The Prophet, which I will see next, the beast wins but nicely so.

Labels: films