original title - la ritournelle - the jingle (song)
then renamed to paris follies for international release
and now at the nziff as folies bergere - a french armchair
confused - yep - which pretty well sums up this french flick
sucked in by 1) french 2) paris scenes 3) michael nyqist (the girl with....)
the opening scenes sees a couple parading cattle at a regional competition
kind of looks like scenes from tv's midsommer murders or the like
me - damn - this is going to be a pretty average outing but oh well
simple plot - man and wife are empty-nesters - xavier is bovine-struck
brigitte seems to be happy to go through the motions with her life
their son a reluctant visitor and unappreciated as an acrobat
the only blot on the landscape is a mysterious rash on her chest
they occasionally bicker and argue but with no malice so all is good
their quiet rural life interrupted by a party at a neighbour's property
she is convinced to attend leading to a friendship with a parisienne lad
which in turn leads her to take her hubbies advice to see a paris doctor
cut to paris and the mandatory (read cliched) backdrops to confirm location
some unconvincing, uncomfortable and unnecessary scenes of her and the lad
nothing happens - it's an embarrassing set of scenes for all concerned i feel
eventually michael nyqust shows up - in town for a dentistry conference
staying at the same hotel and so he and brigitte buddy up for an outing
in the meantime hubby suspects the doctor's visit is a not genuine
so he shows up in paris and witnesses wife and new friend
on a subway train - in the same carriage - staring right at them
seems unlikely she does not spot him but let's not get picky
sadly the presence of mr nyqist does nothing for the film
except raise the question - has his career stalled or collapsed
his part is minor and the film about the same - but we persist
it's all quite tedious really - and the music - blimey - spare us
love is in the air done euro-techno is bad but there is little better
one memorable scene sees xavier show up at their sons workplace
clever use of a hidden trampoline and staircase provides a nice distraction
of course brigitte and jesper (nyqist) consummate their friendship
a kind of cloying love scene in which he 'fixes' her rash with passion
and disclosure that in denmark she would be funded for a trip to the dead sea
the healing powers of the water there apparantly the cure for eczema
but he has a wife and she a husband and so normal transmission resumes
back on the farm they are still bickering but xavier has a surprise in store
surprise, surprise (not) they are off to israel to try out the magic cure
the final scenes there - a visit to a dairy 'farm' - yawn but he happy
and then a terrific final scene of them floating in the dead sea
over - yay - get me out of here - like it - non - french or not
damn - can usually count on the french to deliver
but this one is below average at best - le malaise
