LOOK AT ME
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2005 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
LOOK AT ME (COMME UNE IMAGE) is a sweet, touching and naturally funny film about a pudgy young woman and her famous, self-centered father, who barely acknowledges her existence, except to criticize her for her anger, which she hardly ever displays. The fat girl with the bad self-image is ironically named Lolita (Marilou Berry). Her dad, Étienne (Jean-Pierre Bacri), is a famous writer who doesn't care about anyone but himself, although he does like to collect lovely young women just slightly older than his daughter. Lolita's mother has long since left the scene, probably banished for the sin of aging. Étienne is currently married to the young and sexy Karine (Virginie Desarnauts), who has a model's good looks. They have a four-year-old daughter, not that he cares much, referring to his little daughter mainly as "the kid."
Lolita, who has felt lost for most of her life lost, does have a single passion, singing. At the beginning of the story, she asks her father to listen to a cassette of her singing, but, as the months pile up, he not only can't be bothered to listen to it, he keeps having to be reminded that she even gave it to him in the first place.
With wonderfully expressive eyes, Agnès Jaoui, who looks a bit like Frances McDormand, plays Sylvia, Lolita's singing teacher, who initially ignores Lolita herself until Lolita accidentally mention's her father's name. Sylvia, you see, is married to Pierre (Laurent Grévill), a struggling writer whose books are being ignored. Everyone in the story, in some way, seems to want people to look at them.
In addition to playing one of the lead characters, Jaoui is also the film's director and co-writer. In addition to the absolutely sublime joys of the classical choral singing, the movie's chief pleasure is in the richness of the characters. Each of them touches us in some way. LOOK AT ME has few indelible moments, but it leaves you with an amazing feeling of overall tranquility. It's a sweet little movie that shines with the brightness of a tiny jewel.
LOOK AT ME runs 1:50. The film is in French with English subtitles. It is rated PG-13 for "brief language and a sexual reference" and would be acceptable for kids around 10 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, April 15, 2005. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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