Girl on the Bridge

Product Description Daniel Auteuil and sexy Vanessa Paradis charm in this funny and intriguing twist on Boy Meets Girl. A beautiful waif (Paradis) is prepared to leap to her death in the Seine but is rescued from her grim fate by a raffish carnival knife thrower (Auteuil, in a performance that won him a Cesar Award for Best Actor). Lovely, quirky, winsome and erotic, this fairytale vision from director Patrice Leconte (Monsieur Hire) is a romance so captivating, you won't want it to end! Review [...] Recently released on DVD nine years after its theatrical release in 1999, Leconte s exquisitely photographed black and white film about destiny, telepathy, magic, starred both his frequent leading man Daniel Auteuil in a Cesar Award-winning role as well as Johnny Depp s significant other, the French pop singer Vanessa Paradis. In her breakthrough role as the promiscuous yet sweet-natured, down-on-her-luck Adele, Paradis turns in a visually expressive performance that s all the more evident in the film s opening scene as she s interrogated about her perpetual misfortune and ill-fated romances. Abruptly following that speech, we re captured by Adele s tear-stained face and suicidal glare as the gorgeous young woman leans over the Seine River. However, fate intervenes as the bridge s other sole occupant-- the mysteriously charismatic Gabor (Auteil) recruits Adele to be the beautiful target in his traveling knife throwing act. While no doubt this proposition would send most running in the other direction, and despite some initial skepticism, Adele takes it in stride as Gabor admits it would be a natural transition because he needs a woman unafraid of death. She, in the end, agrees to go along with the eccentric knife-thrower, and once Adele and Gabor begin their journey, they realize that their luck has changed entirely. Oddly enough, the two unlucky outsiders suddenly can t miss both in their act and throughout European casinos. Quickly their dynamic evolves into a sensual companionship that borders on a romantic flirtation, however Leconte is always careful never to allow the characters to cross over into a sexual relationship. While American audiences are used to having men and women hit the sheets on film as soon as they meet, in the hands of Leconte, and especially in this intoxicating reverie, it becomes even more erotic by his decision to not show anything. Sure enough, instead of a dull couple we d begin to grow tired of due to their predictably happily ever after bliss, Adele and Gabor s relationship goes to an entirely different level. Soon, Leconte requires even further suspension of disbelief, making the film into one big magical act in its own right as we realize Adele and Gabor are actually unlikely soul mates who can speak to each other telepathically. They are a couple whose form of romantic consummation is onstage dazzling others with the rush of knife throwing. Normally, when one sees a suicide attempt combined with knife throwing, one doesn t normally imagine the makings of a breathtaking romance. Yet it s precisely Leconte s aversion to playing by traditional rules in following a strict love story paradigm by offering us such a strangely addictive work that make it an irresistible attraction of romantic filmmaking opposites. As a true fan however, I unfortunately have to note that while Girl has never looked better in a stunningly, crisp cinematic transfer for its Legend Films DVD release, other than offering an option to jump to various scenes, there were no extra features available on the disc. Despite this, the film itself would always be the main attraction in any DVD release. Filled with wildly inventive imagery and a dynamic soundtrack, and clocking in with a brief 91 minute running time, it s a fast-paced feast for the senses.[...] --Jen Johans of BlogCritics Magazine at BlogCritics.org
ASIN: B0019UGYAU
VSKU: DBV.B0019UGYAU.N
Condition: New
Author/Artist:Daniel Auteuil|Vanessa Paradis|Joëlle Hache|Jean-Marie Dreujou|Patrice Leconte
Binding: Dvd