Hitler, Stalin, Clark Gable, David Niven, Tom Selleck -- what do they have in common? Prominent mustaches. People would notice if they shaved them off. Not so with Marc, the protagonist in this French divertissement who one day shaves off his thick 'stache and his wife, best friends and colleagues don't notice.
So that's what this whole film is about? No one notices a missing mustache? Not necessarily, but the big shave is the starting point for a clever, if somewhat too clever, film from French critic, novelist and documentarian Emmanuel Carrere. "La Moustache" could be clipped down to Franz Kafka-meets-Jerry Seinfeld, where a whole slew of absurd petite calamities befall our everyday hero, triggered by his trim.
Marc (Vincent London) and Agnes (Emmanuelle Devos) enjoy the conjugal comforts of their upscale existence -- eating sushi, drinking foreign beer, chattering with their clever conflicted chums. Yet something is askew in their world, or at least in Marc's head, and after his rapid shave, his world tilts off its pinions. At first, he suspects his playful wife is playing an elaborate practical joke on him, enlisting their entire circle to deny the existence of his once-proud facial hair.
It starts to get to him -- he misses work, behaves erratically. Perhaps it's an odd psychological manifestation of something missing in their marriage? The plot thickens and turns darker. His concerned wife suggests professional help, but Marc is increasingly addled and eventually goes off the deep end -- or rather, hops on a flight to Hong Kong.
As "Moustache" plays out, filmmaker Carrere teases us with the hidden reality of what is really going on: Is Marc having a breakdown, or is his behavior an acting out of the insufficiencies of his life? Indeed, Carrere captures the small fissures that lurk in even the best relationships, both marital and professional. At its most stimulating, "Moustache" is a keen glimpse into a marriage that appears perfect on the surface but when examined shows its deficiencies.
Unfortunately, the conceit of the meaning behind the moustache shaving wears thin, and mainstream audiences are likely to feel that they've been had. Nevertheless, the film is consistently engaging and intriguing, in large part because of the spry lead performances of London and Devos as the modern Parisian couple. Individually charming, they are a handsome pair and through their precise and open performances show details of their personalities. They're a couple with whom we're glad to spend time.
Technical credits are razor sharp, especially set designer Francoise Dupertuis' telling accouterments and furnishings, clueing us in to the inner and outer worlds of this fractured family.
La Moustache
Anne-Dominique Toussaint presents
A film by Emmanuel Carrere
Credits: Producer: Anne-Dominique Toussaint; Director: Emmanuel Carrere; Screenwriters: Jerome Beaujour, Emmanuel Carrere; Based on the novel by: Emmanuel Carrere; Cinematographer: Patrick Blossier; Editor: Camille Cotte; Sound editor: Herve Guyader; Sound mixer: Laurent Poirier. Cast: Marc: Vincent London; Agnes: Emmanuelle Devos; Serge: Mathieu Amalric; Bruno: Hippolyte Girardot; Samira: Cylia Malki; Nadia: Macha Polikarpova.
No MPAA rating, running time 86 minutes.
So that's what this whole film is about? No one notices a missing mustache? Not necessarily, but the big shave is the starting point for a clever, if somewhat too clever, film from French critic, novelist and documentarian Emmanuel Carrere. "La Moustache" could be clipped down to Franz Kafka-meets-Jerry Seinfeld, where a whole slew of absurd petite calamities befall our everyday hero, triggered by his trim.
Marc (Vincent London) and Agnes (Emmanuelle Devos) enjoy the conjugal comforts of their upscale existence -- eating sushi, drinking foreign beer, chattering with their clever conflicted chums. Yet something is askew in their world, or at least in Marc's head, and after his rapid shave, his world tilts off its pinions. At first, he suspects his playful wife is playing an elaborate practical joke on him, enlisting their entire circle to deny the existence of his once-proud facial hair.
It starts to get to him -- he misses work, behaves erratically. Perhaps it's an odd psychological manifestation of something missing in their marriage? The plot thickens and turns darker. His concerned wife suggests professional help, but Marc is increasingly addled and eventually goes off the deep end -- or rather, hops on a flight to Hong Kong.
As "Moustache" plays out, filmmaker Carrere teases us with the hidden reality of what is really going on: Is Marc having a breakdown, or is his behavior an acting out of the insufficiencies of his life? Indeed, Carrere captures the small fissures that lurk in even the best relationships, both marital and professional. At its most stimulating, "Moustache" is a keen glimpse into a marriage that appears perfect on the surface but when examined shows its deficiencies.
Unfortunately, the conceit of the meaning behind the moustache shaving wears thin, and mainstream audiences are likely to feel that they've been had. Nevertheless, the film is consistently engaging and intriguing, in large part because of the spry lead performances of London and Devos as the modern Parisian couple. Individually charming, they are a handsome pair and through their precise and open performances show details of their personalities. They're a couple with whom we're glad to spend time.
Technical credits are razor sharp, especially set designer Francoise Dupertuis' telling accouterments and furnishings, clueing us in to the inner and outer worlds of this fractured family.
La Moustache
Anne-Dominique Toussaint presents
A film by Emmanuel Carrere
Credits: Producer: Anne-Dominique Toussaint; Director: Emmanuel Carrere; Screenwriters: Jerome Beaujour, Emmanuel Carrere; Based on the novel by: Emmanuel Carrere; Cinematographer: Patrick Blossier; Editor: Camille Cotte; Sound editor: Herve Guyader; Sound mixer: Laurent Poirier. Cast: Marc: Vincent London; Agnes: Emmanuelle Devos; Serge: Mathieu Amalric; Bruno: Hippolyte Girardot; Samira: Cylia Malki; Nadia: Macha Polikarpova.
No MPAA rating, running time 86 minutes.
- 5/17/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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