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Title: Un baiser s'il vous plaît (2007 France) Shall We Kiss? (2009 USA) Starring: Emmanuel Mouret, Julie Gayet, Virginie Ledoyen Directed by: Emmanuel Mouret Genre: Comedy Made for the afternoon air-conditioned matinee, "Un Baiser Si'l Vous Plait" (English "Shall we kiss?") is the sort of film best viewed in the "good" seats, up close and personal. The plot places you right in the middle of the intimacies of well-dressed, 30-something, smoking Frenchmen, with intertwining histories to boot. A Parisian furniture designer Emilie is on business in Nantes, a lesser-known region of France. She asks for directions from the local bachelor Gabriel. Directions lead to a brave inquiry for dinner, and then finally upon return to Emilie's hotel, a simple platonic kiss. Emilie refuses, and now enter the extended recount of a blissful stroll through the lives of Parisian home-wreckers, with dainty Schubert classical tunes the whole way (The composer himself even becomes a plot device from beyond the grave). She tells the story of how her friend Judith, married, gave it all up for her longtime friend Nicolas over his heartbreak over a recently ended relationship, but more specifically, lack of physical attention. Is there any other culture in the world where a man can seriously place this gaudy proposal to a married woman and not get laughed at? On that note, the film makes no attempt at appearing realistic, at least from the American (read: Christian) point of view. Judith at first suggested he resort to a prostitute, which he in fact had, though did not go through with it because, as it turned out, kissing was not allowed. Judith and Nicolas proceed to the master bedroom, and go through a painfully ridiculous process asking permission before touching each other in various zones. From there on the story not-so-quickly devolves to Nicolas acquiring a new girlfriend, while still seeing Judith in the same fashion. Along the way as Emilie recounts the story, she and Gabriel arrive at her hotel room into the morning hours. It is here that one can draw a sort of nervous energy between the two as they face each other in the room. You wonder intensely if they will indeed kiss at the inevitable conclusion, as the actors convey their characters to wonder internally as well with sidelong glances and dangerous quips to each other. The stroll through the lives of Nicolas, Judith, and her husband end with Gabriel exiting the hotel room unfulfilled...or gratified? The movie in its entirety really is meant for the powerful last scene of nervous energy flowing over the brim of the "friendly stranger" chalice. 4/5
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Aug 7, 2009 04:35
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 12:36 |
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