Lou Didn't Say No
(LOU N'A PAS DIT NON) ((FRENCH-SWISS))
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Lou ... Marie Bunel
Pierre ... Manuel Blanc
Isabelle ... Caroline Micla
Suzanne ... Genevieve Pasquier
Florence ... Metilde Weyergans
Theo ... Harry Cleven
Francois ... Wilfred Benaiche
"Lou Didn't Say No" is a quintessential Euro art film that examines a couple's relationship with great cinematic sophistication and almost no emotion. Strictly for the more cerebral elements of the fest crowd, this pic -- written, directed and edited by Godard's close collaborator, Anne-Marie Mieville -- is a hothouse flower unlikely to survive on real-life circuits.
The Lou of the title (the beautiful Marie Bunel) is directing a film set in a museum while she holds down a steady job answeringa lonely-hearts hotline. Lou spends most of her screen time, however, with her former lover, a passionate, younger actor named Pierre (Manuel Blanc), discussing their relationship.
While he's moody, at times violent, and romantically in love, she's cool, analytical and ready to explore friendship as an alternative to a traditional man-woman relationship. Although Pierre is crazy about Lou, he's seeing another girl (Genevieve Pasquier) whom he may marry. Lou claims she's not the jealous type. Pierre is, and when he sees her kissing a rival, he explodes.
Despite all the tears and teeth-gnashing, audience is offered little chance to care about the characters, and much of the dialogue is deliberately stagy and unrealistic.
Pic seems hypnotized by high bourgeois culture. At one point Mieville indulges in a lengthy scene showing an anguishing modern dance that continues long after it makes its point. There's also a stage rehearsal, the museum and Lou's film set there, not to mention a refined classical music soundtrack, expensive apartments, exquisite lighting and uniformly attractive actors.
Film concludes with some thoughtful dialogue between a pair of talking Greek statues who seem perfectly in tune with Mieville's style.
Camera (color), Jean-Paul Rosa Da Costa, Edwin Horak; editor, Mieville; art direction, Yvan Niclass; sound, Pierre-Alain Besse. Reviewed at Locarno Film Festival (competing), Aug. 13, 1994. Running time: 78 MIN.
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