I sometimes feel that watching movies nowadays is like ordering a meal at a restaurant. You order something on the menu with certain expectations, and declare it a success if at the end those expectations are met.It would be grand to go into movies as an adventure, like a trip, not knowing where the film takes you and experiencing as it goes and only at the end do you know realize that there is no end, the journey was the destination.Ferran takes us on such a journey...The film begins with fantastic scenes of everyday people all in their own little worlds, set in Paris, all with their phones, music, issues, problems, and hones in on Audrey, a housekeeper at an airport hotel and Gary, a tech exec, in town on business..... After a few scenes of their respective stations in life,...we are half expecting the two to meet, perhaps have an adventure or two, and eventually fall in love...But Ferran is not interested in putting together a ROMANTIC COMEDY... it is not on the menu. Instead, she focus not so much on the lives of these two characters... but uses them as a springboard for her main goal, to introduce us to the transcendent in the everyday world and everyday people that surrounds us. I won't go into how she achieves this but, she does it unexpectedly and wonderfully..This film reminds me of some of the wonderful French films they used to make in the 70's by directors like Resnais, Tanner, Sautet, etc. with touches of Jacquot Benoit's A SINGLE GIRL, social commentary thru characters representing a whole generation of young men and women who are trying their best with modern life, but somehow seem out of sorts with the way their lives, and the world is turning out. We need more movies like this.... BTW, I have no idea how Ferran filmed the little sparrow, if it was real or computer-generated, but thru this film. I've become quite enamored with them. It's crazy that people say things like cruelty, violence and so forth in films are just for entertainment and don't really influence people's behavior. Of course films influence how we feel about the world. Just watching this film has made me like birds.
... View MoreI love French cinema, I love movies that focus on characters rather than action but this is too much. I watched 20 minutes and I couldn't bear it anymore. I tried to give it time so something can developer but nothing happens, really. There's no action whatsoever, no explanation, background voice appears from nowhere, the characters don't seem to have any motivation to do what they do... come on!If you want a 10 minute scene about room cleaning, go ahead and watch it.Oh, and the bird equals freedom cliché it's so obvious that it's annoying!
... View MoreI'm debating with myself how many points I should give this film. The lowest score, a "1", feels too low,given the production values and on rare occasion interesting scenes. However, if the lowest score can stop someone from watching the film, then it is definitely worth it, because 20 minutes into the thing I wanted to get up from my seat and leave the theater. Firstly, Bird People is boring. There are two main characters in the film. One of the two, Gary the American decides to change his life dramatically. But there is no real investment into his character before this big change takes place. The audience gets left out and it is hard to give a damn about Gary, which is especially true during the "so bad it's funny"- skype breakup scene. Add really hammy acting and dumb dialogue to the mix and you have a complete train wreck of a first hour.The other character, Audrey, is marginally more interesting. But before the film has time to really draw you in - SURPRISE, Audrey turns into a bird! Yes, she really morphs into a bid. The rest of the film is like a cross between a Disney film and an ad for Marlboro Cigarettes. I understand the connection between becoming a bird vs freeing yourself from work and relationships. But it is so overstated and ridiculous that any value the film might have had flutters away. And the ending scene just stinks.
... View MoreAn interesting and fascinating film that takes place in Roissy Charles de Gaulle airport area. The fates of two people. First, an American businessman who suddenly decides to quit everything around him: his job, his wife, his kids, everything. Just like that, pffft...And in second we observe the daily burden of an ordinary hotel room maid who also have some existential problems, a Young female who have many questions in her life to answer to...Two people through with many things.And the line between those two is a little cute bird...Just that.A sort of fairy tale, but also very interesting to think about after watching it.
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