LOOK AT ME (Comme une image)
Reviewed by Harvey S. Karten
Sony Pictures Classics
Grade: B+
Directed by: Agnes Jaoui
Written by: Agnes Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri
Cast: Marilou Berry, Agnes Jaoui, Jean-Pierre Bacri, Laurent
Grevill, Virginie Desarnauts, Keine Bouhiza
Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 3/9/05
A recent cover story in People magazine is headed: "Jennifer
Aniston: Dating Already?" Does anyone care? Of course.
People magazine knows that the public or segments thereof are
fascinated not only by what celebrities do when they're not on
stage but by what anyone in a position of power is really
like–Donald Trump, for example. Agnes Jaoui, who directs, has
co-written and performs in "Look At Me"–which opened the 42nd
Annual New York Film Festival last October–knows this as well.
Her film, "Comme une image" in its native French, takes us
behind the scenes for a look at one of France's top novelists, a
man who not only knocks out best-sellers but is involved in the
ownership of a publishing company. This may not be the sort
of prominent person that Americans are interested in since, after
all, would anyone care if Norman Mailer took another wife?, but
in parts of Europe where authors actually have streets named
for them, a street sign on one block somewhere must be
reserved for Etienne (Jean-Pierre Bacri), who anchors the prize-
winning story.
The title comes from a silent plea by Lolita (Marilou Berry), the
famous author's 20-year-old daughter, who aspires to sing
leider but because she is overweight, her future with her
teacher, Sylvia (Agnes Jaoui) is in question. But here's where
sucking up to the power makes its presence as a theme. When
Sylvia finds out that Lolita is the daughter of France's top
novelist, Sylvia–who herself is married to a second-tier novelist,
Pierre (Laurent Grevill)--sees an opportunity to introduce herself
to Etienne with the ulterior motive of bringing her own husband
into the Great Man's circle.
"Look at Me" is a class act. If this were a play, it would probably
find a home in New York's Manhattan Theatre Club, whose
roster is frequented by literary dramas especially dealing with
members of the haute bourgeoisie. Indeed in Jaoui's film, we're
taken to a round of parties where contacts are made and to a
fine restaurant with Etienne has a table reserved for him and his
guests at all times. From Lolita's point of view, though, her
father's fame takes him away from her–he interrupts a luncheon
at the elite restaurant to take an array of cell phone calls–and
what's more she believes, rightly so in all but one case, that the
only reason anyone takes an interest at all in her is to use her to
get to her dad.
"Look at Me" is about self-involved people–we do have some of
that type in the U.S. as well, I hear–folks who are so wrapped up
in their egos that without realizing it they put down virtually
everyone who crosses their paths. The one exception is young
Sebastian (Keine Bouhiza), a Muslim who in one situation
narrowly avoids a fight with a restaurant patron who looks for
any excuse to beat up on a French-Algerian. Sebastian comes
across as the person least involved in his ego, the one person
who can save young Lolita from terminal depression.
The music is wonderful. Lolita and her choir sing Monteverdi
and Handel, and Jaoui does not utilize the church concert that
concludes the film simply as a slice of candy but spends a fair
amount of time on the glorious singing, particularly to highlight
once again Etienne's impatience with anything to do with his
daughter.
Superbly acted, incisively observed and replete with ironic
comments: these make ths a film to see–for an audience with
the good taste to enjoy it.
Not Rated. 110 Minutes © 2005 by Harvey Karten
harveycritic@cs.com
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