Jacques Rivette's Histoire de Marie et Julien (The Story of Marie and Julien) stars Emmanuelle Béart and Jerzy Radziwilowicz as a pair of ex-lovers who get back together after their lives change. Julien (Radziwilowicz) is a clock repairman whose girlfriend has left him. Marie (Béart) is a mysterious woman who does not bleed after being cut. Her boyfriend has died. Marie and Julien had once engaged in an affair when they were each involved with other people, and now that they have no emotional
entanglements, they slowly begin a new relationship. This film started decades before as a project in Rivette's "Scenes From a Parallel Life" series and abandons the majority of the formal rules imposed by the filmmaker on the other films in the cycle. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
Rivette, working from a story he developed with Pascal Bonitzer and Christine Laurent, ushers us slyly toward an ending that surprises and provokes, yet offers the possibility of love reborn.
All the story's power is allowed to leak away by the deliberative heaviness with which Rivette pads through his 150-minute narrative, with its exasperating lack of dramatic emphasis.
Although slow-moving and slightly muted in its emotional pay-off, the film is distinguished by a carefully layered performance from the impressive Béart, who subtly conveys Marie's other-worldly detachment and her human vulnerability.
this movie is so long and drawn out, and the payoff is minimal after such an arduous wait. Both lead characters act as though the entire story is a dream sequence, and Jerzy acts mainly stone faced throughout, as though he is in a permanent daze. At the least, Ms Beart is terrific to gaze at, and puts forth a
believable performance. you have heard of the movie "Casper the friendly ghost" ? This movie would aptly be titled "Marie, the horny ghost". The best part of this dvd is the extra where the director is interviewed. His intellectual discussion about the difference between phantoms and ghosts provided me some needed unintentional humor after watching this movie
February 22, 2010
alan jay
Super Reviewer
Expressive qualities won't be needed in the afterlife,ouch...as to not reveal much,Rivette underlines the importance of being loyal and rampaging your beliefs.Julien is a despicable person and Marie is the angel in disguise,and these malicious creatures crave each other like animals.Rivette's poetic way to show it all
prevents him from offering a true masterpiece but I forgive him because his subplot devices and fascinating tempos distinguish him.
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