Come Undone

Media:	DVD
Directed by:	Sébastien Lifshitz
Starring:	Jérémie Elkaïm, Stéphane Rideau
Release date:	08 January, 2002
List price:	~~$29.95~~
Our price:	$25.64 that is 14% off!

Come Undone

Average rating:

Very different from American filmmaking

Do yourself a favor and get the background on this movie BEFORE seeing it. I struggled with the editing and timeline jumps -- the movie apparently employs flashbacks but makes no effort to transition them smoothly. French filmmakers seem to love the "back of the head" shots and there are PLENTY of them in this movie. The editing was truly awful, I think. There were multiple scenes which had no dialogue, didn't develop the characters, and served absolutely no viable purpose to the plot. I don't think every frame of a movie should be filled with sound effects or dialogue or a cheesy soundtrack, but this film has far too many LONG stretches of total silence that don't serve to advance the story. I just don't understand it, I guess. The subtitles weren't at all distracting, though, and the storyline in itself was quite good...not nearly as tidy and saccharin as many American movies of this genre. The performances of nearly all the principal characters were enjoyable as well. Also, the French take on nudity and sexuality is so refreshing. Clearly, it's just not the big freaking deal over there as Americans make it out to be... particularly the whole penis stigma. Doesn't seem to exist in French films, but male frontal nudity is just next to taboo in American movies. If it weren't for the choppy editing and the abrupt, random bouncing back and forth in the timeline of the characters' lives, I would have completely enjoyed this movie. I would recommend it, but like I said, get a grip on the movie's story before watching it or you'll likely just be going "Huh??" pretty regularly through the film. :)

OPEN YOUR MIND

I think some of the reviewers of this film were too busy waiting for nudity,sex scenes, and simple exposition. This is NOT the french version of "Beautiful Thing" or a soft core romance novel type movie. It is challenging only because it moves away from the "coming out" or "cute boy" genres of gay cinema.
All the characters are realized wonderfully with a minimum of dialogue. The use of silence is a tool that makes you focus your mind and ask questions of the movie. Nothing is pat.
This is a movie that treats it characters (and the audience) with a respect one rarely sees in gay themed movies (one need only compare this movie with simplistic dreck like "The Broken Hearts Club" to understand the difference between respecting your audience versus pandering to it).
This film makes you focus on a young man who is dealing not just with his nascent homosexuality but also serious family issues and a lack of direction in his own life. All these things add to a well-thought out character. And the time jumps gives the viewer the oppurtunity to see how that character progresses (and regresses).
It is not a simple film. But it is a very,very good one.

Some freshness!

I was really surprised to see that some people didn't like this film because of the editing (which is confusing, that's true, but it's done on purpose!) and because of the fact that it asked more questions than it answered. That's exactly why I liked this movie! The director doesn't take you for a moron and let you fill in the blanks. God, do we ALWAYS need to see movies that are explained from A to Z? Also, there are some long quiet scenes with no dialogues, but I was really fascinated by that and not bored at all! The scenery is really beautiful and the actors are great. If you want some freshness, a little unshamefully exposed nudity (a la French) and a passionate love story, buy this Dvd! But this is not meant for people who watch Godzilla and The Eraser!!!

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