It's been said that the trailer spoils this movie, so I won't post it. Suffice it to say that the story occurs in 19th Century France (though it's in English - American and British actors), and is not a happy one.
In fact the subject matter is extremely bleak, and has been attempted by Hollywood on a handful of occasions - though not within the last 30 years, interestingly. I think it's better done here than in other more celebrated films. I was immersed in the bad life choices made by the characters. Which is what movies do best - to make you feel an experience, sometimes something unpleasant.
This film recreates the look and feel of its time beautifully. It's well-cast and perfectly made. People tend to take movies of this time for granted, as commodities rather than as art. IMO if Francois Truffaut had directed this 30 years ago - and this does have a timeless quality to it, such that had he done so, it would have looked like this - people would have taken it as particularly important. It's impressive. I know that I'm saying even less than usual about this film, in perhaps a vain attempt not to spoil the story's content, but the sum total of what I want to communicate is : A). It's a wonderfully made film, and B). If you're in the mood for a small dose of culture, by all means this is worth taking in.
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