Empire Sofil, November 10, 10.15pm.
The best feature of this movie, really, is the Scrambled Eggs song, ‘Let it Go’. For two reasons: a, it’s a great song, probably one of the best Charbel & co. ever wrote. And b, it announces the end of the movie.
But not to be harsh, there are other highlights as well:
- Charbel’s voice going ‘aaaaaaaah’, as the image on screen goes all blurry. The same effect had been used at the end of ‘A Perfect Day’, but with car and traffic lights instead of bushes and greenery. Hum.
- Rabih Mroue fumbling with the word ‘destruction’ in French, but understanding Catherine Deneuve perfectly when she says to him ‘apprehender’.
- The same Rabih (a dear friend of mine, by the way, and someone whose work I watch and respect greatly) using the word ‘paradoxe’ very adequately in another sentence.
- Joana Hadjithomas insisting on pronouncing ‘tripod’ with her priceless French accent, twice in the same sentence.
- Khalil Joreige’s priceless French accent when he speaks in Arabic.
- The whole ‘Is this really happening in the movie, or is it staged?’ gimmick.
- The sudden, jolting close-ups to Catherine Deneuve’s face.
- The way Catherine’s face lights up when she sees Rabih at the gala dinner.
- Catherine’s frozen facial expressions throughout the movie, even as she is about to get blown up by a landmine.
- The dialogue. ‘Ken beddik tchoufeh’. Oh, for crying out loud.
Apart from that, we had a good laugh.
