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Tinkerbell Among the Ruins

Scott Coblio | West Hollywood, CA United States | 10/09/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Coming from a purely "I'm-Only-Here-For-Jean-Seberg" sensibility, this movie delivers. Not plot--for what plot there is, is thin as a piece of paper. Not pace--it has none. As a parody of the James Bond spy-film, it has little of that genre's wit or panache.

But I give it three stars, which is probably one more than it really deserves, because unlike most of the films in Seberg's catalog, we finally get a big, candy-colored eyeful of Jean. In contrast to all those drab French New Wave films in their black and white, almost none of which offered her in anything but wide shots and medium shots (close-ups, taking extra time & different lighting to film, are rarely seen in low budget movies, unless there is no set, in which case you see only close-ups! ) we for once get to see her in color, in a film that's actually well shot for a low-budgie, smartly dressed and projecting a character more animated than those she was usually permitted.

There are a few laughs, mostly from the intelligent and restrained performance of Seberg herself, who proves to be surprisingly adept as a light comedienne (especially in a taxicab sequence in which she rides with a dirty old man who projects a porn loop as a seduction technique. Jean's reaction shots, as she feigns a polite interest in both the slimeball sitting next to her and the purposely absurd film she is looking at--and trying desperately not to see--are genuinely funny.

It may all be hopelessly mediocre, and dull to anyone not interested in Jean Seberg, but personally I'm so happy just gazing at her gorgeous face, her beautiful skin, flaxen hair and incredible blue eyes, the pixie-ish dimples, that I don't really care what the hell is happening in the plot. She looks like a slice of lemon meringue pie. And because of some combination of beauty and earnestness, her personality emerges from the hokey drek of the plot in a rather lasting and resonant way. Filmed mostly in the blazing midday sun of dusty Greek villages and ruins, she is like Tinkerbell in a world increasingly devoid of magic.

There are a number of bad films that I fully hope are playing on eternal loop in Heaven, just to stargaze at the beautiful women in them: Barbarella (Jane Fonda--ooh!), Cat People (Nastassia Kinski--ahhh!), The Hunger (Catherine Deneuve--mon amor!) and a host of others. When the icing is this good, I can forgive a lousy cake."

Du Chabrol solide

Lecaude | New-Zealand | 02/19/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Une bonne histoire policiere confirmant que Chabrol est bien notre Hitchcock francais. Maitre de sa camera, Chabrol nous donne un film intéressant et bien construit. Certes il a fait mieux (surtout quand il s'attaque a la bourgeoisie francaise-son sujet de predilection!) Mais pour les amateurs de Chabrol ce film est un "must"."