The French film "The Names of Love" involves sex and politics, so if it were, say, a particularly good Elvis Costello song back in the day, we might say it's about sexual politics.
I'm not sure the film marries the two ideas that convincingly.
On the other hand, it's not for lack of trying. Plus, director and co-writer Michel Leclerc's film is funny and loose, and never shy about touching hot-button issues - that's basically the reason for its existence - which means it's always entertaining, and it boasts a terrific performance from Sara Forestier.
At its heart, though, "The Names of Love" is really about identity. That much is clear from the start, when we meet Arthur Martin (Jacques Gamblin). Through voiceovers and visits with his younger self, we learn that he shares his name with a famous brand of French washing machine, to his chagrin. It's a form of disguise. Arthur's mother (Michéle Moretti) escaped the Holocaust, but her mother was killed, and she lives unhappily with survivor's guilt but never, ever, speaks of her loss. Arthur's father (Jacques Boudet) works at a nuclear plant after a stint with the French army in Algeria.
Arthur is an uptight scientist studying bird flu. He's making a radio appearance when Baya Benmahmoud (Forestier), screening calls for the station, bursts into the studio and rants about his warnings. She's fired on the spot, of course. But she and Arthur go to lunch, where she invites him to sleep with her - something she always does on a first date, she explains.
Alas, Arthur has to perform a necropsy on a dead bird. Perhaps some other time?
Baya's not so sure, but it's clear all paths will eventually lead to her bedroom. It's a busy place. As she explains to Arthur, as a proud supporter of left-wing politics, she sleeps with anyone to the right of her beliefs (which is just about everyone) - fascists, to her - in an effort to convert them.
But what about Arthur? "I like you," she explains.
Baya's mother (Carole Franck), we learn from the same time-travel methods, was something of a hippie in her day. She married Mohamed (Zinedine Soualem), an Arab from Algeria whose father was killed by French soldiers, as a sort of protest. So with their complex identities and heritage, in Baya's mind her relationship with Arthur embodies all of France.
Baya's sexual identity, forged by trauma, is explained but not dwelled upon. That's probably a good choice, because the strength of the movie is in the goofy romance between Baya and Arthur. It's in some ways like an old-time screwball comedy, if those had copious nudity. Baya, for instance, gets distracted while changing and winds up walking to the subway in nothing but boots, not noticing until sitting down across from an offended Muslim couple.
Forestier is fantastic, making what could be a cartoonish character human. Leclerc's pace is quick, and he doesn't hesitate to jump from a serious topic - racism, genocide, sexual abuse - to a comic set piece, sometimes in the same scene. He's not always successful in pulling it off, but his average is high, making "The Names of Love" an unusual, worthy comedy.
Reach Goodykoontz at bill.goodykoontz@arizonarepublic.com . Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm . Twitter: twitter.com/goodyk .
No comments:
Post a Comment