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Caf de Flore (film)

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Wikipedia article




'Caf de Flore' is a Canadian drama film, released in 2011. Directed, written, and edited by Jean-Marc Valle, the film garnered 13 nominations for the 2012 Genie Awards.[http://www.toronto.com/article/710366?bn=1 "'Caf de Flore', 'A Dangerous Method' lead Genie Awards race"] . 'Toronto Star', January 17, 2012. The film's title refers not to the caf on Boulevard Saint-Germain in Paris, but to a Matthew Herbert song of the same name which the film uses to represent its musical current.

Plot



The film cuts between two seemingly unrelated stories. One, set in present-day Montreal, focuses on Antoine, a successful club DJ torn between his new girlfriend Rose and his still-complicated relationship with his childhood friend and ex-wife Carole; the other, set in 1960s Paris, features Jacqueline, the fiercely protective single mother of Laurent, a child with Down syndrome who has a crush on Vronique, a friend and companion who also has Down syndrome.

The film builds toward the revelation of how the two stories are linked: after Jacqueline, Laurent, and Vronique are killed in a car accident, Carole, Antoine, and Rose are their subsequent reincarnations.

Cast



A small (last credit on screen) but important role is "la mdium", played by Emmanuelle Beaugrand-Champagne. She helps Carole understand that her recurring dreams of a young mongoloid (word used in the dialogue) boy, and of a horrendous car crash, are the memories from when she was Jacqueline, going through her own emotional trauma that her love for Laurent (Carole for Antoine) was being displaced by his love for Vronique (Rose).

Production



Filming

'Caf de Flore' was shot in Montral and Paris, from 16 August 2010 until 19 November 2010. In Paris, a scene was filmed on the Boulevard Saint-Germain in front of the actual Caf de Flore.

Soundtrack

'Caf de Flore' multi-genre soundtrack includes songs from the Cure, Sigur Ros, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Pink Floyd. By fusing modern electronic and avant-garde elements with old world orchestral sounds, the music connects the two major time periods of the film.

The film borrows its title from the electronic-tinged "Caf de Flore", a song written and performed by British musician Matthew Herbert in 2000. The song is used throughout the film to represent and reinforce its central themes.

'Caf de Flore' features two a capella performances: an a capella rendition of the Cure's "Just Like Heaven" performed by Florent and Parent, and a cover of Herbert's "Caf de Flore" performed by Paradis, Brochu and Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont Royal.

Valle had originally planned to put Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" on the soundtrack, but lead singer Robert Plant turned down its use.

Reception



Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a score of based on reviews from critics, with an average rating of .

In Canada, 'Caf de Flore' was generally well received by critics. 'CineAction' critic Alsegul Koc describes Valle's film as "the aftershocks of an amorous earthquake"; a story which "amplifies the horrors and joys of letting go and starting anew". He admires the film's ability to delve into deeper, more emotionally vulnerable areas of the human psyche than conventional love stories.Koc, Alsegul (September 12, 2011). "Emotional Fault Lines in Caf de Flore". 'CineAction', Issue 87: pp. 40-41. 'The Globe and Mail' critic Guy Dixon gives the film 3.5 out of 4 stars, describing it as "beautiful" and "intricate", and applauds the performance of Florent, who, in his view, played a large role in weaving the two story lines together.Dixon, Guy (12 September 2011). [https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/cafe-de-flore-a-beautiful-intricate-canadian-film/article629714/ "Caf de Flore: a beautiful, intricate Canadian film"]. 'The Globe and Mail'. Mary Corliss, writing for 'Time' magazine, echoes praise for Florent's as well as Paradis' performance, calling them "luminous". She also acclaims Valle's offbeat cinematic style, nothing that although "the viewer will have to leap with Valle, his film is so sure-footed, emotionally and cinematically, that that risky step seems like walking on air in a beautiful dream".Corliss, Mary (November 9, 2012). [https://entertainment.time.com/2012/11/09/cafe-de-flore-twin-flames-in-an-enlightening-film/ "'Caf de Flore': Twin Flames in an Enlightening Film"]. 'Time'. Jay Stone from Postmedia News gives the film four out of five stars, noting Valle's ability to use music to craft a story of unfailing love. He calls the Montral filmmaker a "visual storyteller" who "creates montages linked by their emotional colours".Stone, Jay (2011). "Cafe de Flore is a reverie of love; Jean-Marc Vallee uses music to demonstrate his ode to endless love". Postmedia News: Don Mills, Ontario.

While 'Caf de Flore' was generally well recognized by the Canadian film community, the film obtained mediocre reviews and low turnouts in France. The film, which attracted a promising 45 critics upon its initial theatrical dbut, ultimately grossed fewer than 85,000 total viewings.[https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/552411/cinema-flore-critique "La carrire franaise de 'Caf de Flore' est termine]". (4 March 2012). Radio-Canada. In a 'Tljournal' broadcast, Claude Fugre sums up the general opinion of 'Tlrama' critics, who called the film a "vaguely esoteric melodrama chock-full of clichs on life, love and death ... a disappointment from the director of the excellent 'C.R.A.Z.Y.'.Fugre, Claude (2012). "Caf de Flore de Jean-Marc Valle se fait dmolir par la critique parisienne". 'Le Tljournal': Toronto, Ontario. In a similar tone, Hubert Liz, writing for 'Le Parisien', gives the film one out of five stars, calling Valle's work "overly ambitious" and his character development "tiresome" and "frustrating".Liz, Hubert (25 January 2012). [https://www.leparisien.fr/culture-loisirs/cinema/cafe-de-flore-fumeux-25-01-2012-1828880.php "Caf de Flore: fumeux"]. 'Le Parisien'. . Danielle Attali, writing for 'Le Journal du Dimanche', gives the film the same rating, calling the plot "convoluted" and "frustrating".Attali, Danielle (22 January 2012). [http://www.lejdd.fr/Culture/Cinema/Actualite/Cafe-de-Flore-la-critique-du-film-468053 Caf de Flore]. 'Le Journal du Dimanche'. . In a mixed review, 'Le Monde' critic praises Paradis' performance but notes that "for her [Paradis'] sake, we should be irritated by the film's far-fetched concoction of a dual story line ... a far cry from being 'mysterious' or 'mystical'."Sotinel, Thomas (24 January 2012). [https://www.lemonde.fr/cinema/article/2012/01/24/cafe-de-flore-metempsycose-toujours_1633436_3476.html "'Caf de Flore': mtempsycose toujours"]. 'Le Monde'. . In contrast to other Parisian reviewers, Mathieu Carratier from 'Premire' gives the film 3.75/4 stars, praising Valle music selection by comparing him to a "DJ who mixes different paths together to better grasp the stories which they tell".

Critic Ginette Vincendeau gives 'Caf de Flore' a mixed review, noting that within the film, "there are convincing and emotionally potent moments ... the film is at its best on this register of intimate realism" but that "it is less good when grandstanding on clich concepts such as the 'perfect soulmate', or the more excessive manifestations of love, maternal or romantic". The 'Sight & Sound' critic concludes her review by stating that though the film attempts to connect two stories in different time periods, the "convoluted leaps in time and space often make the film difficult to follow, and in danger of appearing pretentious rather than sophisticated".Ginette, Vincendeau (2012). "Caf de Flore". 'Sight & Sound': Vol, 22, Issue 6, pp. 58 'The Guardian' Mike McCahill rates the film one out of five stars, calling Valle's film a "narcissistic", "fundamentally unpersuasive", "head-in-the-clouds" drama with a revelation that may "prove to be the most stupid love twist of the decade".McCahill, Mike (2012). "Film & Music: Review: Cafe de Flore 1/5 Director: Jean-Marc Vallee. With: Vanessa Paradis, Kevin Parent. 120min. Cert: 15". 'The Guardian': London, England, p. 20.

American reviews were also mixed. Charles Cassady, a reviewer from Video Librarian, gives the film three out of three stars, uplifting its "bittersweet 'mise-en-scne', which thankfully never tips into horror/suspense or becomes carried away with f/x, instead offering a mature and wise (if a little male wish-fulfillment-tinged) take on themes of 'soulmates' and the limitations of love".Cassady, Charles (2014). "Caf de Flore". Video Librarian: Vol. 29, Issue 3, pp. 24-25. 'Variety's Boyd van Hoeij salutes the film's casting, but deems 'Caf de Flore' unoriginal, noting that "Valle has taken what made 'C.R.A.Z.Y' so successful, and simply tried to replicate it on a slightly larger scale. [Occasionally] similarities between the films ... are so striking it almost feels like Valle's ripping himself off".van Hoeij, Boyd (2011). "Cafe de Flore". 'Variety': Vol.424(6), pp. 83.

Accolades

The film garnered the most nominations (13) at the 32nd Genie Awards:

*Best Picture (Valle, Poulin & Even)

*'Best Actress in a Leading Role (Paradis)'

*Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Gerrier)

*Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Florent)

*Best Director (Valle)

*Best Original Screenplay (Valle)

*Best Art Direction (Vermette)

*Best Cinematography (Pierre Cottereau)

*Best Costume Design (Magny & Youchnovski)

*Best Overall Sound (Minondo, Caron, Fernandes & Gignac)

*Best Sound Editing (Pinsonnault, Blanchier, Meilleur, Morin & Raymond)

*'Best Achievement in Make-up (Fattori & Marin)'

*'Best Achievement in Visual Effects (Dudouet, Morou, Normandin, Pensa, Cote, Broussard, Theroux, Sansfacon, Tremblay & Chuntz)'

Of those nominations, the film won three Genie Awards: Best Actress (Paradis), Achievement in Make-Up (Fattori & Marin) and Achievement in Visual Effects. 'Caf de Flore' also won two Prix Iris: Best Actress (Paradis) and Cinematography and Art Direction (Cottereau).

At the 12th Annual Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards, 'Caf de Flore' won Best Canadian Film.[https://vancouverfilmcritics.com/2012/01/10/148/ "12th Annual Award Winners"] at Vancouver Film Critics Circle Paradis and Florent were also nominated for Best Actress in a Canadian Film and Best Supporting Actress in a Canadian Film, respectively.[https://vancouverfilmcritics.com/2012/01/02/vfcc-announces-its-12th-annual-award-nominees/ "12th Annual Award Nominees"] at Vancouver Film Critics Circle.

References




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