Godard Mon Amour
Friday, April 6, Shannon Hall, 6 p.m.; and Tuesday, April 10, AMC Madison 6, 1 p.m.
Godard Mon Amour is a witty and and whimsical new film from Michel Hazanavicius, who directed the Oscar-winning stunner, The Artist. It’s set in 1968 and shows the French filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard seducing and marrying Anne Wiazemsky (Stacy Martin), the much younger star of his political satire La Chinoise. Godard is adored by the French public, but the acceptance he seeks is that of the student protesters rioting in the streets of Paris — and they are a hard bunch to please. It doesn’t help that he keeps making tone-deaf speeches and says the Jews have become Nazis. He also appears to be entering a new phase of his life and work — self-loathing asshole revolutionary. The satirical gem is based on Wiazemsky’s memoir, and through most of the film the ever-patient wife accompanies the increasingly anxious and dejected filmmaker though meetings, demonstrations and vacations in beautiful settings he is too self-righteous to enjoy. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments of physical comedy, and hilarious conversations where French and Italian artists accuse each other of being “bourgeois.”
Good Manners
Saturday, April 7, AMC Madison 6, 11:15 a.m.; and Sunday, April 8, AMC Madison 6, 3:15 p.m.
Good Manners is a romance, a coming-of-age story, a monster movie, and even a bit of a musical. So, it’s surprising, with so many disparate elements, that the story holds together. The film, directed by the Brazilian/French team of Juliana Rojas and Marco Dutra, begins when a serious and down-on-her-luck Clara (Isabél Zuaa) applies for a job working for Ana, a quirky and isolated wealthy woman living in an apartment in São Paulo. Ana’s experiencing a weird and painful pregnancy and, despite the doctor’s reassurances, wonders what is growing inside her. The two women become lovers, and in some extremely tender and sensual scenes, we see their lives begin to merge. But Ana’s disturbing sleepwalks lead to mayhem, and an entire second act is centered around Clara’s attempt to adapt to an unexpected life circumstance. Zuaa turns in a riveting performance, transforming herself from a painfully shy and quiet person to a warm, caring maternal figure. With shades of Pedro Almodóvar, The Shape of Water, and old-school monster films, Good Manners features luminous cinematography, worthy of big-screen viewing.
What Will People Say
Saturday, April 7, AMC Madison 6, 6:30 p.m.; and Wednesday, April 11, AMC Madison 6, 12:15 p.m.
What Will People Say is a harrowing film about a young woman — a Pakistani immigrant living in Norway — caught between conflicting cultures. When we first see Nisha (Maria Mozhdah), she’s playing basketball on a playground, jostling around with a smiling, red-headed teen who clearly likes her. She gets a call on her cellphone and her face crumples. “It’s not that late,” she says, but the resignation on her face says it all. Dutifully, she heads home, where her large family is feasting. Her father pulls family members up to dance, and while cleaning up afterward, her mom chastises him for embarrassing the family. “It isn’t proper,” she says. It’s the first of many examples of how the family’s concern for how others perceive them warps their decisions. By seeing the joyful moments in the warm family gatherings, we gain sympathy for the characters and we understand how the members of this Muslim community rely on each other for support in a foreign land. We understand that they want the best for Nisha, as they repeatedly say. But after Nisha’s father discovers her with the boy (they had barely kissed!) he’s sure she brought shame upon him and the family. Well-meaning child welfare counselors get involved, but are unable to stop the family from taking Nisha away from everything she knows to teach her a lesson. What Will People Say provides surprising moments of tenderness amid heart-pounding drama. Scenes set in the colorful, swarming markets of Pakistan contrast with the stark, snowy streets of Norway. And we experience it all through a magnificent performance by Mozhdah, who channels terror, joy and burgeoning sexuality as she is torn apart by the seemingly irreconcilable differences between traditional and modern cultures.
