458. 2 ou 3 choses que je sais d'elle/Two or Three Things I Know About Her (1967)

Running Time: 90 minutes
Directed By: Jean-Luc Godard
Written By: Jean-Luc Godard, from letter by Catherine Vimenet
Main Cast: Marina Vlady, Joseph Gehrard, Anny Duperey, Roger Montsoret, Raoul Levy
Click here to view the trailer

GODARD WEEK: PART SEVEN (A TEMPORARY CONCLUSION)

Despite the fact that there is still one Godard film remaining in THE BOOK ("Week End"), this will be a temporary conclusion to "Godard Week", since I can't find the remaining film anywhere. The past week has been fulfilling overall and I'm glad that I'll now be able to hold my own in discussions about Jean-Luc Godard, should any arise.

The plot here is held together by dental floss and is basically non-existent, as the film serves as yet another outlet for Godard to air his grievances about modern day consumerism, politics and life in general. Actually, the guy had a decent idea, as apparently there was a 60s phenomenon, reported in French magazines, that claimed many housewives were taking up prostitution as a means to make more money! In the film, Godard even suggests that certain husbands even advocated for their wives to hit the streets! It's a unbelievable thing to imagine and apparently the report sparked "2 or 3 Things I Know About Her", which at it's center, is about a woman (Vlady) who serves as a hooker during the day. We never really find out if her husband is aware or not, but in the grand scheme, it's really unimportant. The rest of the film is documentary style, with characters/actors breaking the fourth wall and talking directly to us, reciting Godard's script, filled with pessimistic views. Apparently Godard was upset at the, then modern culture, of the World, as fancy new gadgets and color televisions forced these women to hit the streets so that they could live the socially accepted "normal life".

There are some interesting bits, commentaries and interactions in "2 or 3 Things", but ultimately it just wasn't my cup of tea. I can't say I'll be sad to see "Godard Week" end, because I'm really tired of watching films that Godard barely masks with a plot and treats as vehicles to gripe. And this one lacks a plot more than any of them. He even has his actors breaking character and talking directly to us. This might work for some people, but when I put in a movie, I want to be told a story. You can tell it to me however you wish and hey, if you have some grudges against the World that you want to air, that's fine too. There's a way to be subtle about it, while still telling your story. This came off almost like a personal piece of propaganda, with Godard preaching to us about what's wrong with the world we live in. Yes, there are many problems in society - which is why people go to the movies, to escape life for a couple of hours and get lost in a story! Not to be reminded that all our days consist of (for most of us) is work, eat, sleep, repeat.

Sure, there was good too. I particularly loved the conversation between Robert (Juliette's husband) and the stranger in the cafe. There's a lot of talk in the film about the meaning of words and why the mean what they do. Towards the end, Juliette states that "her eyes are her eyes because she see's with them. She knows they're not her knees, because she was told they weren't. What if she hadn't been told?". It really gets you to thinking about the language we use and the words we choose. It draws a line between images and words - try to think of what you did today, without thinking of the words to accompany the images. He zooms us deep into a cup of coffee and allows us to watch the bubbles and the steam dance around, in a scene where I really wanted to stop reading the subtitles and simply gaze into the stranger's tea cup. Oh and Marina Vlady was an excellent casting choice. I'd never seen her in anything before, but she is breathtaking and a definite attention grabber when she's onscreen.

RATING: 5/10 Let's strike it right down the middle again and call it average. Again, like "Alphaville" there were flecks of brilliance, but for the most part it was a film that was lost on me. Ten to go and then it's TOP 20 time!

RANKING GODARD

I usually end a tribute week by writing a few final words about the director who I've just paid tribute to. I really think I said all I need to say about Godard throughout my posts, so instead, here is a ranked list of the seven Godard films that I watched in the past week (and the only seven of his films I've EVER seen), as well as revised ratings where necessary. Enjoy!

1. Contempt 10/10
2. My Life to Live 7/10
3. Breathless 6.5/10
4. Masculine-Feminine 6/10
5. 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her 5/10
6. Alphaville 5/10
7. Pierrot le Fou 3/10

MOVIES WATCHED: 391
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 610

January 9, 2012 12:32am