I haven’t seen the original version of One Wild Moment. Perhaps I should because I have nothing with which I can compare this version. I read the synopsis and was excited. After viewing I was not disappointed… just not excited.
The storyline has merit, but the execution was quite predictable. There were many times it could have been resolved but wasn’t. The denouement of the film was meant to leave one thinking. I did spend a lot of time doing this and could not come to any satisfactory conclusion. I am hoping this was the idea the scriptwriter intended.
In this reimagining of Claude Berri’s classic film One Wild Moment, Antoine and Laurent, old friends, spend their vacation in Corsica with their respective daughters – seventeen-year-old Louna and eighteen-year-old Marie. The fathers enforce strict rules and so the girls become bored.
One evening at the beach, Louna seduces Laurent. She is in love, but for Laurent it was nothing more than a drunken distraction. Without revealing her lover’s name, Louna confides in her father, who tries by any means to discover who his daughter’s lover is – truth will come out, with surprising consequences!
For me the highlight of this film was Vincent Cassel’s portrayal of Laurent. He showed us the torment of a middle aged man trapped by a teenage girl and being absolutely helpless to do anything for fear of being found out by his best friend. For those not familiar with French films, he is known for playing Thomas Leroy in The Black Swan.
His co-star, Francois Cluzet, also performed admirably as the father with anger management issues. His portrayal featured many comic moments which made him the perfect foil to Cassel.
The two daughters, played by Lola Le Lann and Alice Isaaz varied from angst to showing more than an ample amount of flesh.
I found Jean-Francois Richet’s direction somewhat one-dimensional. Apart from the two fathers, the characters were not really explored and I found myself tiring of the endless barriers to Cassels’ confession.
One Wild Moment certainly won’t set the cinema world on fire but it explored some interesting territory and showcased the talent of the more experienced actors.
Reviewed by Barry Hill
Twitter: @kinesguy
Rating out of 10: 5
One Wild Moment will screen on 2, 5, 8 & 12 April 2016 for Alliance Française French Film Festival, which runs 31 March – 24 April 2016 exclusively at the Palace Nova Eastend Cinemas.
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