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| Available at Amazon.com |
Andre Techine is considered one of France’s finest directors of post-New Wave period. He makes quiet films that slowly peel away the truths his characters wish to ignore. They slowly boil to the point where they have to decide whether to get out of the pot or surrender themselves as dinner. He’d probably have a bigger reputation in America, but his best work arrived at the same time as the rise of the American Independent movie scene. During this era, the arthouses cut back on the films that required reading. Andre Techine 4-Film Collector’s Edition gathers up four of his most acclaimed works for a chance at being booked on your small screen.
Hotel America (1981 – 95 minutes) was recently released as part of the recent Catherine Deneuve 5-Film Collection. It makes sense to include it here in case you are more about auteurs than an actress’s oeuvre. I previously described this as “a lethargic romance. Deneuve is an anesthesiologist that accidentally hits a pedestrian (Patrick Dewaere). After she realizes Patrick isn’t injured, they strike up a relationship. She’s not ready to date since her old lover has recently died. Patrick’s a slacker living at his parents’ hotel and doing next to nothing. She wants to go slow. This guy turns into a complete sloth. He likes it when she drops by his bedroom cause he doesn’t have to get dressed.” This film should be treated as lesson for lazy guys who get a chance to snog a woman as hot as Deneuve. Be active. Be a dreamer. You’re not merely living in your parent’s house. You’re conserving energy before you conquer the world. The last thing you want is Deneuve to realize she’s Deneuve and you’re an unmotivated putz. Even though you live in your pajamas, you’re not Hugh Hefner. Can Dewarer catch onto this before she walks out of his staid life?
I Don’t Kiss (1991 – 116 minutes) brings a boy (Manuel Blanc) to the big city with his dream of being an actor. He learns quickly that when starting at the bottom, you’ll spend plenty of time on your knees. Consider it research for when playing Joe Buck in a remake of Midnight Cowboy. He hooks up with an old woman (Helene Vincent) who wants to play sugar mama. Her elderly mother doesn’t want her daughter to clutter up the apartment with a boytoy. The free room and board vanishes. He finds himself hustling on the streets of Paris. Of course he doesn’t want to kiss or touch his clients. Like a good actor, he merely wants to put on a show. Philippe Noiret (Cinema Paradiso) is a movie producer who takes a fancy to the fresh meat. Can this be his big break?
My Favorite Season (1993 – 127 minutes) forces a sister (Catherine Deneuve) and brother (Daniel Auteuil) to deal with their sick mother. The brother is a doctor who is working on a specialization in alcoholism. The sister shares a law firm with her husband, but she’s getting sick of her marriage. The mother keeps falling apart. The brother and sister struggle as to which one can take care of her the best, but neither can take care of themselves. It’s a real downer of a film.
Wild Reeds (1994 – 114 minutes) deals with anti-war feelings and homosexual desires. A guy agrees to marry a woman in France so he can leave his unit that’s fighting in Algeria. He confesses during the wedding that he doesn’t want to go back to the battle. He goes AWOL from both the army and his honeymoon bed. Later his brother (Stephane Rideau) meets two students (Elodie Bouchez and Gael Morel). Things get kinky when Stephane gets involved with the duo. He needs comfort, but not from the expected classmate. There’s more emotional debauchery than skin on the screen.
Andre Techine 4-Film Collector’s Edition contains four of his best films. Wild Reeds won France’s version of the Oscars. The other three films were also critically praised upon release. This quartet is rather quiet even in their most outrageous of moments. Deneuve is his perfect muse with her calm ice princess persona making sure things don’t get too hectic. This is the perfect boxset for students that took international cinema class and wondered about the films that came after the French New Wave movement.
Hotel America, I Don’t Kiss and My Favorite Season are 2.35:1 anamorphic. “Wild Reeds is 1.66:1 anamorphic. The black bars are on the side of the screen. The transfers on all four films are top notch. You get a sharp view of French life in the backgrounds. The audio is Dolby Digital mono. The levels are fine. The subtitles are in English and Spanish.
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Andre Techine is a delicate director. Even when he has a chance to go emotionally overboard, he allows his characters to keep their emotions tight to the chest. Andre Techine 4-Film Collector’s Edition is a prime cut of the director’s work. This is a nice boxset for those who want to explore French movies beyond Luc Besson’s action flicks.
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Lionsgate presents Andre Techine 4-Film Collector’s Edition. Directed by: Andre Techine. Starring: Catherine Deneuve, Philippe Noiret & Stephane Rideau . Boxset Contents: 4 Moves on 3 discs. Rating: Not Rated. Released on DVD: July 22, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
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