This film contains the complexities of youth, friendship, and romance without, it seems, even trying. The Algerian War hardly matters beyond its being a war, one of which from the 20th century into the 21st is happening somewhere. The music, which is as affecting as songbirds in May and more playful, enchants scenes with the engaging energy of the mystery of life. The film is a wonder of filmmaking, a film imbued with an immortal soul that reaches out in friendship. The title: The "Oxford English Dictionary" tells that "philopena" is a game in which when a nut, usually an almond, has two kernels, two people each take one half of it. Then, when next they meet, the first to say "philopena" may demand a forfeit of the other. This is often a friendly romantic game, a form of flirtation. Many online references cite an accompanying greeting with the expression, e.g., "Hello, Philopena" and in French, "Bonjour, Philippine!" Philopena/Philippine is also a name for the game." Rozier's title for his film is "Adieu Philippine." This may be taken as a goodbye to the game of flirtation of Michel with the young women with him and of them to him--the goodbye that concludes the film. But the title is also capable of meaning more metaphorically. Michel is the nut that when opened by the girls is found to contain a "Philippine," or in context, two hearts. When Michal is asked about a love interest, he says that he will wait to see which girl waits for him, or who will greet him, or who in the parlance of the game will play the game, win it, and make a romantic demand of him. "Adieu Philippine" is the story leading up to the goodbye to his divided heart, which each young woman is enthralled to possess and he to have given, or so the sweet longueur of their goodbye demonstrates in Rozier's beautiful film.
Review of Adieu Philippine
