This film has many different rhythms and paces. At first the prolonged sex scenes last so long that they became uncomfortable and disturbing.Although the sex with the prostitutes was consensual Depardieux grunted in almost pig like fashion as he lost himself in debauchery and lust. It had the feel of a porn film but with believable characters. The scenes with Depardieux and Bissett often have the feel of improvisation particularly at the beginning. It would have been nice to have seen more of the victims reactions to the abuse that they were subjected too. The unrepentant nature of the lead character is alarming and brutally honest.He does not seek to be cured even after his arrest makes his life fall apart. He shows no feeling for his victims and just is a serial abuser. His blunt attempts at seduction is seen to be successful in one instance due to his wealth and status and overt womanising. Like Bad Lieutenant this film delivers moments of brutality and spiritual abandon. In both films the central characters are spiralling out of control. The Gauguin nudes on the walls of the apartment are well placed. In all despite the lengthy sex scenes and drawn out almost real time arrest the film is well constructed and well acted. The surreal almost "bad actor" dialogues between Bissett and Depardieux as they confront the aftermath of his arrest fluctuates between the inane and the poetic. I really liked the line that,"The reverse of Love is not hate but indifference" delivered by Bissett. The fact that this film is based on true events adds weight to the subject matter. A difficult film to watch and an adult film on more than one level.
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losriley-12 April 2015
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I was pleased when this film became available on Netflix and then on DVD, because I am an unconditional fan of Gérard Depardieu even though he is no longer the healthy-looking star he used to be, and also because I was convinced from day one that DSK had fallen into a trap set by his political enemies. Only two people know exactly what happened that day in his hotel room, so this is indeed a fictional version, but when Depardieu's character tells his wife that he is not guilty as accused, I for one believe him. It's watchable, and almost philosophical when he talks to his very rich wife about the sharing of wealth. And if anyone is disappointed by Depardieu's performance in this movie, I recommend director Jean Becker's delightful film "La Tête en friche" (My Afternoons with Margueritte) in which Depardieu is brilliant. Jacqueline Bisset's performance here is remarkable too.
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claudio_carvalho29 December 2016In New York, the French director of the World Bank Mr. Devereaux (Gérard Depardieu) is a pervert and womanizer, partying and participating in gang bangs with women. When he tries to rape the hotel housekeeper in his room, the woman reports to the police. Devereaux is arrested, affecting also the life of his wife Simone (Jacqueline Bisset).
"Welcome to New York", by Abel Ferrara, is a long, uneven and inconclusive film based on the New York v. Strauss-Kahn case. The story shows the lead character Devereaux as an egocentric, pervert and sick womanizer through excessive sex scenes and his relationship with his daughter and wife. When he is released in house arrest, the screenplay is developed at a very slow pace and is boring. However the lack of conclusion is terrible. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Bem-Vindo a Nova York" ("Welcome to New York") -
tieman6423 June 2014"The economic anarchy of capitalist society is the real source of the evil. The result of these developments is an oligarchy of private capital, the enormous power of which cannot be effectively checked even by a democratically organised political society." - Albert Einstein
In May of 2011, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, presumptive French presidential candidate and head of the IMF (International Monetary Fund), was arrested at JFK airport following an alleged assault on a hotel housemaid. Strauss-Kahn denied violence but admitted "inappropriate" behaviour. The civil suit was later settled out of court.
Directed by Abel Ferrara, "Welcome to New York" retells this scandal. It stars Gerard Depardieu as Devereaux (a stand in for Strauss-Kahn), a corpulent corporate-type who spends his days pommelling prostitutes, engaging in casual sexism and gorging on mountains of food. Devereaux, in short, is addicted to pleasure, power and excess. Emblematic of a ruling class which abuses its privileges, exhibits insensitivity toward others and remains protectively cocooned in its ivory towers, Devereaux is shocked when his attack on a lower class black woman gets him arrested. "I have diplomatic immunity!" Devereaux cries.
Ferrara's recent films have all been about capitalism, addiction and their overlapping ills. In "Last Day on Earth" this results in ecocide, in "Go Go Tales" this results in a club owner developing gambling addictions in an attempt to "diversify" and "compete" on the market place, and in "R Xmas" a couple of upstart businessmen find their dreams of upward mobility shattered. In "Welcome to New York", we see the "cause" of such collapses and calamities. Entirely without empathy, self-knowledge, forever unable to distinguish between consecration and rape, and viewing everyone and everything as a possession or commodity, Devereaux is the product of a culture which glorifies and normalises sociopathic behaviour. "I don't have feelings," Devereaux tells a psychologist, "I don't give a s**t about the people!"
"Welcome" is divided into three clear sections. In the first, we nosedive into Devereaux life of debauchery. Here, sex and nudity are presented without a hint of titillation, and all of Devereaux's sexual rendezvous are sketched as something pathetic and hollow. The film's second section then bluntly contrasts a dehumanising prison system with Devereaux's life of privilege, whilst its third and best segment finds Devereaux consigned to house arrest. During this segment, Jacqueline Bisset steals the show as Devereaux's ex-lover.
Though well intentioned, "Welcome to New York" is mostly bad art. The film is packed with clichés, its dialogue is obvious and cringe-worthy, Ferrara's aesthetic is far too literal and the film climaxes with a hokey shot in which Devereaux looks at the camera in a moment of forced and failed profundity. Worse still is Ferrara's disinterest in embedding Devereaux's debauchery within a socio-political context. Ferrara, whose filmography is filled with films about addictions, seems interested in Devereaux only in-so-far as the man is held prisoner by his own body; consumed by consumption. The larger workings of the IMF – responsible for tens of millions of deaths, wars, coups (one currently going on in the Ukraine), the arming of terrorist and far-right groups, indebting countless countries etc – goes ignored. The dubious implication, as with most art which attempts some kind of economic critique, is that our system "works" if only people were a little more compassionate and a lot less greedy.
Incidentally, the IMF's "Independent Evaluation Office" has recently admitted that, quote, "the IMF's advocacy of fiscal consolidation proved to be premature for major advanced economies". In short, the IMF is attempting to portray its recent disastrous policies, which saw austerity measures and bank bailouts occurring in most First World nations, as "blunders", rather than entirely deliberate. Many of these Strutural Adjustment Programs, imposed on countries to serve the interests of creditor banks and mega-corporations, were at the time being opposed by Strauss-Kahn, then the IMF's managing director. Judging by history, in which non-compliant types (Scott Ritter, David Kelly, William Colby, Michael Connell etc) are routinely suicided, assassinated, discredited or slandered, it's possible that Strauss-Kahn was framed so as to install a more malleable director. Time will tell. Which is not to say that Strauss-Kahn isn't a giant sleaze-bag, just that he's small fry. The monster runs deep, and its always sacrificing its own priests to keep the game alive.
5/10 – See Passolini's "Salo", "Eyes Wide Shut" and Ivory's "The Remains of the Day". -
dragokin25 May 2015Anyone acquainted with the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal that rocked international media would find Welcome to New York interesting. The movie gave us some time in private with the main protagonist, although it's clearly been a work of fiction, as the introductory notes underlined.
In this movie the aesthetics of Abel Ferrara were put to gut use. As it usually has been the case with his movies, it was difficult to say whether the look and feel of a TV docudrama was intentional or the budget didn't allow a better postproduction. Either way, it sat well with Welcome to New York. It was a gritty insight into the daily routine of an important man who, after a hard day's work, relaxed in some debauchery.
From there we go to a cordial welcome at NYPD until the big international capital intervened and charges were dropped. The last section of the movie, although the least exciting, gave the main protagonist the opportunity to spend some time under house arrest and open his heart. And it wasn't the possibility that both himself and Dominique Strauss-Kahn could have become "the future president of France" that made my stomach turn. It was rather his/theirs inability to perceive any wrongdoing and the unwillingness to repent. -
This film is a fictional retelling/ docudrama of the Dominique Struass-Kahn rape accusation by a New York maid in 2011. The film changes the names and adds fictionalized dramatic personal details as we see the wife (Jacqueline Bisset) upset that the case ruined HER ambitions and life. Good dramatic performances. Not a court room drama.
We are introduced to the party lifestyle of Devereaux (Gérard Depardieu) and after about 30 minutes we have an arrest. Much of the drama consists of the discussion between him and his wife. A good portion of the film is in French.
Good drama. Front loaded nudity.
Parental Guide: F-bomb, sex, nudity (Natasha Romanova, Lucy Campbell, Raquel Nave, Gérard Depardieu) -
What is this piece of work? An auteur film? A low-budged shock movie like "La Grande Bouffe" or "Baise-moi"? A porno? Whatever the case, this catastrophic film makes you wonder whether Abel Ferrara has really been directing movies for 40 years. Inconsistent characters, uneven editing and dialogue lines that are laughable at best and disturbingly weak at worst make this this movie a really painful experience, like a great romantic Austrian orchestral piece performed out of tune all the way through. The exhaustingly long and slow vampire of a film that is Welcome to New York begs the questions: has the production been rushed for some troubled reason(s)? is that why it backfires on all technical levels? did they use rehearsal footage? is that why the acting is so all over the place? There are, however, a few interesting moments here and there in the film: Depardieu's monologue towards the end of the film, the lighting reflected on Jacqueline Bisset during a quarrel in the couple's home cinema. They're only details, unfortunately, and they're not powerful enough to save the film from drowning. Abel Ferrara proves that being a "unique" artist doesn't make you a "competent" one and, most of all, that you can't always blame gaucherie on art.
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andyhorowitz-8170817 November 2015Ferrara is an interesting author who has always cared more for editorial freedom than to commercial success, the Hollywood fame and popularity. Formed as an independent author in the twilight of the New Hollywood, Ferrara has made a number of films on different issues, from twisted comedy, through the mob, Catholic mysticism and vampirism, to obscure the horror and science fiction films. Art tells its own story. The artist has an obligation to be fair, or even decent. Ferrara is wiser than that to go on a cheap provocation and risks a lawsuit for damage to reputation, and in his case Strauss- Khan became Devereaux (Depardieu), and his wife Anne Sinclair became Simone (Bisset). The film, the most accurate way, deals with the distortion of reality in the world of the rich and powerful.
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Is that the best actor in France? Really? Can some surgeon put him out of his misery? This was awful. Ferrara forgot to hire writers. The acting is pathetic. Dialogues wouldn't even make an episode of a 1980's cop show. I feel sorry for French people that this was presented to the world at the Cannes Festival.
Depardieu is a sick man, it's become obvious he needs help. Besides his physical appearance, for a man who was beautiful 20 years ago, there is the problem of his acting, and what emotions he conveys. There is none. He has zero charisma left. He's lost his mojo somewhere in the 1990s. I think Louis CK would have done a better job. Heck, I think Schwarzenegger would have done a better job. -
vampire_hounddog7 November 2020An international French banker (Gérard Depardieu) is in the US. He is preparing to declare his candidacy in the future French Presidential race. Meanwhile, while he is away on business he hosts or participates in regular sex parties with escorts. But when he sexually assaults a hotel maid he is arrested as he is about to leave and return back to Paris on a flight putting his candidacy at risk and a very real threat of imprisonment.
Abel Ferrara's very controversial film is quite obviously based off a real case that occurred in 2011 and formed the basis for the film. The comparisons with a case brought against Dominique Strauss-Kahn were so clear that he tried to sue Ferrara.
Many criticised the gratuitous sex scenes in the film (Ferrara had started out as a director of hardcore pornography) and it is undeniable that the film makes for challenging viewing, but this seems necessary. Depardieu pulls off one of his most powerful and fearless performances, while Jacqueline Bisset is also good as his long suffering wife. -
kindredparadox16 April 2021Devereaux (Depardieau) came to New York for sex, party and pleasure. Somehow maybe one of his perversions is toward maid submission, which he thinks is OK. Then a hotel housemaid made rape allegation at Devereaux, which made him detained
The pace of Welcome to New York is good. Somewhat you immersed in that pace. As an educated shallow main character, you will develop hatred toward him. Justification over another justification to reach freedom he craved-"a wealthy freedom" -
Atdheu9025 September 2014"Welcome to New York" is based on the real-life scandal that involved the french diplomat Dominique Strauss-Kahn who was a member of french Socialist Party and also the Managing Director of IMF (Int. Monetary Fund) from 2007-2011 until he resigned due to allegation that he had sexually abused a hotel maid.
"Welcome to New York" presents this affair in a masterful way, that one would find it hard to get the attention off the screen even for a second. Be advised that this is not something Ferrara has done in the past during his long career. For the director this is just the first time that he elaborates a certain real life event to the last detail.
Welcome to New York proves that for Ferrara this is just the right kind of stuff that he can handle with ease with his unique talent. He has been provocative for all his carrier and this material proves to be something that can deliver without making a false step on the process.
On the other hand, Dapardieu gives one of the best performances of his carrier. He's so convincing as Deveraux that one can say he's the real man (DSK). The script doesn't exaggerate, - written by Ferrara himself and Zois (who worked previously with Ferrara in "New Rose Hotel"),- it handles the story plain and simple, in order for Ferrara to do his thing behind the camera without losing the focus from the real life story.
Undoubtedly, one of the best parts of the movie is when he (Devereaux) boards the plane, then is asked to step out and the whole police procedure begins. Depardieu feels very comfortable during this complex scenes as does Ferrara, who doesn't hesitate even for a second to show us what the real man experienced.
As the movie progresses another real life accusation is unfolded. Strauss Kahn, after the New York arrest, tried to rape a journalist. In real life this allegation happened to Strauss-Kahn who was accused for such an act and is scheduled to appear in court for trial in 2015.
Bisset plays Devereaux's wife and fulfills the other part of the story.
If you are not convinced and need more reasons to watch this or don't want to be misled and stay away from it consider the following: If you are familiar with the real life story of DSK then give it a shot, you wont be disappointed. If you are not an Abel Ferrara fan, then skip it (it will be your loss). If you want to see Depardieu on one of his best roles he has ever done in his career then watch it. He was the perfect choice for this role. If you are not a fan of movies where unpleasant situations are unraveled in details, then don't watch it.
Hope this helped! -
s32761693 March 2015Even a good cast can not save Welcome to New York from the label of mediocre.
The film tells the tale of a lecherous, moneyed Frenchman who is accused of raping a housemaid whilst staying in a ritzy New York Hotel.
Gerard Depardieu offers up a reasonable if not exceptional performance as the male lead. His character is a rather revolting, dissipated type who is driven primarily by sex, which he equates with a disease.His character is not that complex and as such, not terribly interesting.
By contrast, his long suffering wife, played by Jacqueline Bisset, offers up a passionate performance as a woman driven to pure exasperation and despair by a man she still loves in spite of his conspicuous faults.
Its a very personal drama let down by limited character development and the rather stunted story line which leaves the viewer asking what it is they have just witnessed. Indeed, Welcome to New York really amounts to little more than a reiteration of life's realities, that the world is an unfair, unjust place where money makes a huge difference and the dysfunctional go on being dysfunctional.
Five out to ten from me. -
jbadewitz17 October 2014okay, this movie is not very "deep", its more like a real-time documentation of some real life facts/conditions.. so, for about 20-30min its really a "Welcome to New York" with all its special realities.. i was constantly wondering during the movie, what the deeper thoughts of Abel Ferrara and Depardieu & Bisset were to make this half-documentary.. Abel Ferrara made such great films like "Bad Lieutenant" (as you surely know)->what does he (and Depardieu & Bisset) wants to tell us with that ? i guess almost nothing->for me it culminates in a superb acting scene with Bisset and Depardieu at the end.. its a "homage" to two great actors: Bisset & Depardieu.. thats all,thats it..if you are a great Bisset&Depardieu+Movie-Fan, you will like it->great acting !! (PS.appendix: after watching it by chance for a second time in an "Uncut"- Version, its also mainly a "blaming the capitalism", was ,but not so, clear before in the "cutted"-version..)
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craigrock18 May 2015Totally non-believable boring and basically unwatchable. I'm not an apologist for DSK, NYPD, IMF, or the PS but this movie is so far away from reality that its pathetic. Who funds garbage like this? I don't know DSK but I do know he was managing director of the IMF for 4 years as well as holding MANY prestigious posts within the French political system. I find it hard to believe that he travels alone taking yellow cabs to the Airport and is then left in the New York Prison/Court System without getting access to a lawyer and then strip searched? LOL ... Come on now! The scenes are dull lifeless and bland. I know more about DSK from watching a few stupid news clips than I learned from this entire movie. There was NO attempt to develop his character or anyone else's. It seems as though the script writers knew NOTHING about DSK or ANY of the characters in the film. His wife is portrayed as some sort of "backbone" who ran his career? The scene with Bisset and Depardieu was scripted poorly and acted even more poorly if that can even be possible. I'm not the biggest fan of the NYPD either but their depiction in the film was very insulting to them and ME! The guy supposedly rents an apartment for $65k a month but can't get a private car to pick him up at the airport?? I still don't know the real story of what happened with DSK. Its obvious that people in very high places want to destroy the careers of DSK, Depardieu, Bisset, and Ferrara because it certainly shines a pitiful light on all of them.
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could this be that this film was made out of spite or jealousy? besides a few naked bad looking women, this film tried to portrait Dominic Khan as a woman eater - puffing and punting like a dog - i think its peculiar and stupid.
no element of the intriguing follow up of the juridical case, no insight as why Mr khan needs to poof like a dog when he clumsily touches a woman, like a wild fifteen year old kid.
i cannot see anything that could possibly come close to portray the man called "the seducer" - a man who allegedly had the worlds prettiest at his feet.
I've never rated a film so badly, nut this is totally petty. -
christopher-underwood7 January 2016I have never been disappointed with an Abel Ferrara film yet never seem in a rush to see a new one. I guess the ferocity of emotions he tends to whip up are both exciting and disturbing. This particular film, depicting the events surrounding Dominique Strauss- Kahn's attack upon a maid in his New York hotel was so dismissed by the critics at the time of its release, I delayed my viewing. No need to have had any doubts though, this is a sensationally good film. Gerard Depardieu was a fantastic choice to play the lead for despite all the horrors and abuse of power, there is something about the actor and his reputation that presumably, like DSK in real life, prevents the viewer from totally dismissing the guy as an animal. A couple of devastating, direct to camera stares underline this, 'Who are you to judge me?' attitude. Jacqueline Bisset is also very effective as his then wife and there is a very powerful scene when she is showing him round the flat she has found for him and tries to resist his clumsy advances. The dialogue is brilliant throughout and totally believable and it seemed to me that i may never have heard such convincing lines from non white actors, particularly in the courtroom, police and prison scenes. The whole sequence following the removal from the plane and his incarceration and strip search are spine tinglingly believable. I must also mention that before we launch into the main story Ferrara presents us with the DSK view of the world with 'ladies' sweeping into a briefing session to fold themselves over his lap and offer a blow job. And then an orgy scene in New York shot really tight with just parts of bodies visible and cocaine laced whipped cream much to the fore. A highly erotic scene to set us up for the main body of the film leaving us in no doubt all the while that a certain part of the man's (any man's?) anatomy is directing his actions.
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Gordon-1127 June 2015This film tells the story of a powerful French man in the field of economics, who is addicted to sex. He runs into trouble when he is accused of raping a hotel maid in New York.
I think the problem about "Welcome to New York" is that everyone knows the whole plot already before watching the film, so it is a challenge to keep viewers interested and surprised. Having extended sex scenes one after another may superficially do the trick, but ultimately I find "Welcome to New York" lacking in real substance. The wife, Simone, is likable and gives convincing displays of emotions. I am sympathetic towards her character. The main character, Devereaux, on the other hand, lacks that certain spark. I guess it is because his character is so egocentric and pathological that he does not show much emotions. He only sweet talk to ladies, yet he is not shown to be able to do much else. The filmmakers could have made it interesting by throwing in more courtroom drama, or more public outcry. There are loads of missed opportunities with the film to deliver a gripping and sensational story. -
ounyai11 October 2014This movie is really a terrible portrayal of the events that really occurred. Guilty until proved innocent more like it. The acting was quite cold and lifeless and yet should the directors have taken their time with this storyline it could of had real potential. Such a shame to butcher a possible great. The main reason that such a film would be made is to shed some light on the events that occurred in real life or at least a resemblance. I do not believe that this was the case here.
Throughout the film we see a great disparity between the actors and what one would expect from a man of such influence. How can anyone give this film a high rating after having to struggle to get to the finally. -
francescogobbo30 December 2014Parturient montes, nascetur ridiculous mus (The mountain gave birth to a small mouse).
S-K. incident could have indeed given many hints to be pursued in making a decent movie: the interests of the rich and the influent colliding with justice, the sexual dependence of a mature man vs his family, or again loneliness and decadence in modern days. However, the director chose to follow them all at the same time, resulting in nothing more of a collection of sketches, causing the audience some annoyance, not to mention some impatience for the plot to recollect the various topics. Sadly, such hope is to remain unattained, and the movie remains an exhausting prologue of a story we will never see. The lack of pathos or sympathy for any of the characters or stories don't help. One may advocate Brecht's disenchantment of the epic theater, but one would seriously doubt that this was the case. -
kosmasp8 October 2014They can deny it all they want, but the blueprint of the story is too close to a real person to not be immediately linked with it. Maybe they fear lawsuits by Sarkozy, though I doubt he still has the power to do anything like that, but that would be the only reason I can imagine. Obviously the portraying of a french man is not the best. Maybe some would feel that it does put all male from France into a doubtful light, but that would not be a fair assumption. We're talking about a spoiled guy, the nationality does not matter.
There's also a lot of nudity in this (also from Gerard Depardieu, in case you were wondering). The subject matter is also very harsh, but shows what addiction and loss of sense (or senses?) can do to a person. Maybe therapy can help, maybe not. Bottom line is, there is bad things happening. All shown in a very slow pace (like a "body search", which has some fun dialog as well) ... can you bare it? (sorry for the pun) -
sukrancetik58 October 2017IMF exists in order to not to change the colonial system of the West.To protect the colonial system, continue stealing in every way. Proof of this is that rapid destruction of countries where IMF gives credit. If countries somehow paid their depts and as soon as they get rid of IMF,we all get used to watch their rapid growth. Then West's legal burglars use their power continue to pull down their economies with international credit rating agencies like Standard & Poor's, Moody's,Fitch. And surely they do not allow other countries to establish similar institutions in spite of their wellknown proved mistakes. This film focused only on a thing above the iceberg. They should also ask correct questions like, Why now? After being nominated to the presidency, the chief of IMF allowed to be on trial in this way. It would be more realistic to investigate who did this and why. Since Devereaux wellknown by his similar acts and he is sure he can get away with it as used to be. Suddenly NYC started to do something about it as someone let them. And of course Who let them we don't know as much as we don't know why he get away with previous similar cases. Someone wonders why Gérard Depardieu except to play in such a movie after all. Depardieu should not be help them to get away with all of it.
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temrok98 October 2014Painting used to be a major form of art, as it represented reality through the eyes-and the mind-of the painter, and this act wasn't waiting for the surrealists to invent it as it was inherent in every attempt to represent reality(always an act meaning to link the outside with the inside-reality with perception).Photography and then cinema took over the responsibility of this act, as they both appeared more capable of aiming at the real;meanwhile, a demand for more reality lead to aesthetics(growing in the cinema world like cancer) supposed to emphasize the impression of the real-the worst example of this tendency being perhaps the decay of horror film through the limitless repetitions of camera shaken films that followed the example of Blair witch project- and that impression of the real(always created by manipulating means) became the god of a new world where the demand for truth was believed to be satisfied through the revelation of this reality;that alone was taken as enough to guarantee justice, a remedy to fight all illnesses, racism first of all(which became the top topic of every thinking man), and disillusion as well(the spectators of the contemporary fantasy films laugh at the usually more imaginative means cinema used to use to create its monsters when digital was an unknown word). And then comes Ferrara with his movie, one I wasn't sure I was interested in watching, to remind us of that old painters ethos that used to be trade mark of all great cinema-and still is, in rare cases- painting a real story(more real it couldn't be, and watch here Ferrara is not interested in the subjective element of reality of a Rasomon type)with his palette of pictures,shadows, sounds and edits that refuse to give a dramatic and manipulative tone(compare this with the terrible Gone girl) to the film and create a true work of art that,as all modern art does , is not devoid of meaning, but incorporates the meaning in its form and the austerity with which it gets close to-or keeps a distance from-the characters of the story.So Ferrara, bringing in an aesthetic that reminded me of Robert Bresson, succeeds where Scorsese with his Wolf of Wall Street failed, succeeds even more in giving a cinematic portrait of New York unlike any other, lighting the places in subtle ways and creating poetry out of the ordinary.Furthermore, Welcome to New York is one of the most anticomformist movies ever made attacking political correctness with its power of lack of judgment(although the civilization of moneyworld is surely judged and condemned right from the start)and the thoughts it aims to provoke in all of us regarding the inner truth and the world we are living in.A master film by a director I hadn't appreciated enough in the past.
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writers_reign9 October 2014In some ways Gerard Depardieu is the Gallic Helen Mirren, i.e a more than accomplished actor, admired by his peers, adored by fans, an Award winner yet with a compulsion to take off his/her clothes. He did it first - to my knowledge - back in the 70s in The Last Woman where, not content to spend half the film in the buff, he cut off his penis for an encore. He stops short of self-mutilation here and the one full-frontal scene - it occurs when, following his arrest, he is strip-searched = last no more than a couple of minutes. Depardieu, like most of the cast, phones it in and I suppose one has to give him credit for appearing in something that is both cheesy and sleazy, the sort of role a young actor will take on to get noticed. In fact the only reason I can think of for the appearance of Jacqeline Besset as Depardieu's wife is the fact that she has more or less dropped off the radar and the ego needed a little massaging. There's absolutely nothing to recommend in this movie - perhaps 20 years ago the sex would have sold it, a la Last Tango In Paris, but not in an age where you can access the same thing at the click of a mouse.
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Headturner121 June 2019I like Gerard Depardieu and he was good in this but I cant really put my finger in it. The movie was in French a bit but I even tho I don't think I missed anything as there wasn't much of anything. There wasn't much emotion even from Bisset and when there was it came off as funny. They way they just came to JFK and detained him? They never say why, read him his rights. This was just ridiculous. So what really happened? He was disgusting and unikable and I couldn't see him as a presidential candidate. I just really didn't like this film. It doesn't want you to. I got guys a sex addict ( he parties and that was depressing) blah , blah. Just bland with no substance or story.