Un crabe dans la tete is an easy film - no senseless violence, no overt existential angst and despair. When I saw this film a few months ago, I thought it was a very good movie. After a few months processing time, I think it is a great movie: 1) it is beautiful, 2) it is entertaining, 3) it makes a point. You'd think you'd be able to expect that from any film, but you'd be wrong.
Alex loses his memory during a diving accident, including the memory of some beautiful but shocking photographs he took of an underwater wreck somewhere in the Indian ocean. As you might expect, the cinematography here is extraordinary. So also are intimate views of Montreal.
Alex is an experience junkie and tries to get some free time in New York or Paris, but finds himself back in Montreal. He flirts with the doctor and the round woman at the ticket counter. He wants everyone to love him and love becomes meaningless on the way.
Afraid that he won't be able to live with the consequences (of not being loved and approved of) if he commits to anything, he steals experiences, relationships, sensations that aren't his own and runs away from things he is unwilling to be responsible for.
As pretense follows pretense, cowardice and pretense come to define his character. Because he bends to any force that is stronger than he is, he appears to have a lot of contractions, but the consistent factor is that he cannot face the consequences of not having everyone love him. Alex cannot commit either to himself or another person.
Alex comes to own his experiences and actions, and so takes back direction of his own life. It's a really great movie.
Alex loses his memory during a diving accident, including the memory of some beautiful but shocking photographs he took of an underwater wreck somewhere in the Indian ocean. As you might expect, the cinematography here is extraordinary. So also are intimate views of Montreal.
Alex is an experience junkie and tries to get some free time in New York or Paris, but finds himself back in Montreal. He flirts with the doctor and the round woman at the ticket counter. He wants everyone to love him and love becomes meaningless on the way.
Afraid that he won't be able to live with the consequences (of not being loved and approved of) if he commits to anything, he steals experiences, relationships, sensations that aren't his own and runs away from things he is unwilling to be responsible for.
As pretense follows pretense, cowardice and pretense come to define his character. Because he bends to any force that is stronger than he is, he appears to have a lot of contractions, but the consistent factor is that he cannot face the consequences of not having everyone love him. Alex cannot commit either to himself or another person.
Alex comes to own his experiences and actions, and so takes back direction of his own life. It's a really great movie.