Friday Night

It's appealing aesthetically, but as far as the plot and themes go I'm genuinely unsure what to make of this film. Is it just an empty piece of wish-fulfilment, is it trying to subvert those wishes, is it trying to show Laure's fear of commitment? The mood jumps around so much it's hard to get a grip on it. It doesn't help the situation that the events of the film - which have been called romantic - seemed to me unromantic and kind of unpleasant, or that Jean is a very bland character.

What it feels like when a director doses you with sleeping pills, opens up your head and paints tranquil colors on your brain.

By a remarkable coincidence, I saw this movie the day after watching BEFORE SUNRISE, which is thematically (on the surface at least) almost identical. In fact, they are very different films, having in common, nevertheless, the fact that they are over-praised. Both films strive for a significance which they fail to achieve. BEFORE SUNRISE makes the attempt through the use of poorly-scripted dialogue; this film through the absence of dialogue.

as tactile, woozy and tender as you'd expect, but i can do without the quirky little animations and twinkly score and shots of her poking her legs in the air like a giggly schoolgirl--the breathless final shot was all that was needed in that regard. anyway, check out this remarkable review by an AMERICAN writer, if ya know what i mean (half of his wiki page is devoted to his love of firearms): https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2003/05/23/AR2005040200642.html

Star Rating: ★★★1/2

Playing with small flights of fantasy alongside an emotional drama, this emphasises for me just how diverse and interesting Claire Denis is as a director. However its a shame that this one, despite being under 90 minutes, drags immensely in the last act.

Vendredi soir estreava há 20 anos no Festival de Veneza. Por mim daria 5 estrelas para todos os filmes da Denis, mas esse é especial. O que mais gosto dele são os silêncios que o permeiam, o fato da atração não se dar por meio da palavra constante e sim de uma ternura natural. Lindíssimo. DVDRip Sonata Premiere.

"Friday Night is an evocation of one woman's uncertainties, flights of fancy and elusive joys." - Ed Gonzalez