Soft Shell Man (2001) User Reviews

Excellent movie

[maximo23 · 10/10 · 13 March 2002]

From reading the above comments, I imagine that most these people are so used to a "hollywood" movie structure that when they're presented with something that shifts away from that, they just can't make sense out of it. The characters are fully developed, and I think the protagonist, Alex, is extremely believable. He has sympathy towards people who might not deserve it and then he can't get a hold of himself when he's about to put one of his precious relationships at risk. So what? That's exactly how we behave in real life too.

The cinematography is awesome, the music is beautiful, the plot is extremely interesting. And all the characters are so...French-Canadian.... I think you have to be French to understand that those situations are not unrealistic.

That's why I like Canadian movies - they are different, and tell the story as it is, without trying to embelish situations or try to tie the knots for the viewer... they assume the viewer is intelligent enough to take his own conclusions. Well, not all of them anyway...

A fine profile of a benign narcissist

[hamlet2b · 10 June 2002]

This was a fine film and a good study of a benign narcissist. Alex has clearly suffered some major trauma, not just the recent witnessing of dead people trapped in a shipwreck under the Indian sea, but something primordial that we, and he, can only guess at. For this, despite his immaturity, he remains sympathetic. He is not the blowhard narcissist or manipulator, but rather the childlike one. He tries to make everyone love him, and in so doing, loses all their love. At the same time the film was ingenious in showing how those around him use his narcissistic vulnerability. They are attracted to his eternal youth, bring him into their lives, and spit him out when he is unable to follow through on their demands. In other words it takes two to tango. It is too simple to see the other characters as having been disappointed by an immature man. My heart really went out to this fragile man trying to negotiate the terrain of an emotionally tumultuous world. No wonder he wanted to flee to the dark and silent ocean bottom.

A minor masterpiece

[SammyK · 9/10 · 23 February 2002]

Andre Turpin's "Un crabe dans la tete" is a vibrant, fresh and enigmatic film that proves once again that some of the best new films in Canada are coming out of the Quebec scene. Turpin's vision takes the visual playfulness of Denis Villineuve's "Maelstrom" one step further, while elminating some of the latter film's pretentions in the process. "Un crabe" is very free-form and incidental in structure, with its protagonist, Alex (David La Haye) playing a sort of existential Don Juan, who just cannot say "no" to anyone or any situation. While the tone is generally light and the pace is brisk, Turpin slips in a few serious, introspective moments that ground the film in reality. Amidst the sometimes fantastic picaresque journey, there are moments of devastating reality and repercussion.

Very original scenario, well worth it.

[mookie-1 · 13 November 2002]

One could compare the scenario of "Un Crabe" the best with Dostoevski's novel, "The Idiot". We see our "hero" Alex, who we could regard as an idiot, but nevertheless, we see that he becomes the centrepiece in the scenario, just like Dostoevski's main character in "The Idiot". And all seem to need him very much, in their own special way.

His very best friend, Sam, welcomes him with open arms since he's so happy to have him back in his life. Another friend, Audrey, dares not to leave her flat and trusts him with her "business". And of course, the gallery director who says "je t'aime" to Alex. Need we mention as well that Alex sort of stopped his relationship with his "wife"?

We also see Alex make new friends, namely the cold and distant Marie; Sara (the girlfriend of Sam) with whom Alex gets on very well; Armando, the lonely rich kid who has nothing else better to do than to spend his fortune on drugs.

The scanario is very original and very well written. And like in Dostoevski's "The Idiot" we seem to ask ourselves, who is really the idiot here ... Alex or the society around him.

If you're in the mood to see a mainstream Hollywood film, with the basic Hollywood script of action, braindead violence and the cool happy end, this isn't the film for you. However, if you want to see something original and with much insight, you will enjoy your time spent watching this film.

Vive la differénce ;)

m.

"Human, realistic and grounded....very genuine."

[xcal321 · 9/10 · 20 July 2006]

I worked as the festival coordinator for the Toronto Environmental Film festival in 2001 -- this was definitely the most powerful and entertaining piece to be shown on the screens. The audience response was very similar and I've watched it several more times over.

The characters, the conversations and the twists together form a genuine and intriguing film -- something we all could relate to and I truly believe some of the choice made are similar to reactions I would have in the same position.

This film is very human and very french - but worth every moment.

Please try it. Mitchell

Friend with everybody but himself

[LeRoyMarko · 8/10 · 21 March 2004]

The story of Alex (David La Haye) who craves for love and attention but, when it's getting too overwhelming, find refuge in the deepness of the sea. This contradiction is a the centre of the movie. A refreshing film with an original scenario, Un crabe dans la tête is fun to watch. But I would agree that there's a point to be made about how it's difficult to develop any feeling for the characters.

David La Haye is great in the main role. And the other characters are well performed by the rest of the cast. I liked Pascale Desrochers in the role of Audrey. She's also playing in the tv-series Virginie. That role seems to be a follow-up on the one she's playing in Un crabe dans la tête.

Out of 100, I gave it 82. That's good for *** out of ****.

Seen at home, in Toronto, on March 19th, 2004.

There's not a single convincing moment in this film.

[saltsan · 1/10 · 9 September 2001]

"Un Crabe dans la tete" focuses on Alex, a handsome but selfish underwater photographer who undergoes a number of emotional, life-changing experiences while passing through Montreal. When all is said and done, however, writer/director Andre Turpin has presented little more than a rudderless narrative featuring a bunch of unlikable and uninteresting characters, characters whose patience for the boorish protagonist is nearly unaccountable.

Again and again, one finds oneself mystified by Alex's actions: If he's meant to be a selfish man, only out for himself and afraid of commitment--leaving his wife after the wedding without a word--why, on the other hand, is he so dangerously loyal to a pathetic female drug dealer? If he can thoughtlessly fall into the arms of his best friend's vulnerable lover, how can he suddenly be so completely (almost overly) ethical about a series of disturbing photographs his agent wants him to display? Great films have been made by examining "unlikable" or selfish characters and about people whose actions and motivations are almost inexplicable (i.e. John Cassavetties' films), but the confusion of this film's characters is never thematized or explored. Alex acts the way he acts only so the melodrama can take another surprising turn.

The film is sharply, if erratically, shot, but most paying audiences will surely lose patience with Alex and his associates long before it has ended.

Juvenile, Puerile, silly. AVOID!

[timberck · 1/10 · 5 February 2002]

This is a really bad movie. Several of us watched it together and spent a lot of the movie glancing at each other with "What the hell is this?" looks. None of the characters are appealing, the main character is totally unsympathetic. At no point in the movie do you care about anybody. Performances are bad. The script is juvenile and silly..hard to believe it was written by an adult (Maybe it wasn't). It is not smart enough to be an art movie, not clever enough to be a cult film. It is poorly shot and poorly acted. AVOID!

This is the best film I saw at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival!

[Anideos · 10/10 · 24 January 2002]

Literal translation: A Crab in the Head. This is an amazing film! It is difficult to categorize it because it has so many aspects, and it works on so many levels. But it is not difficult to praise. It is part comedy, part thriller, part drama, part romance, and part action/adventure. It will make you laugh. It leave you awestruck. It will tickle you in ways you have never been tickled before. The performance by David La Haye is mesmerizing, extraordinary, and poignant. The range in subject matter is vast in scope, as well as being satisfyingly, but curiously, odd. Refreshingly, you will not be able to erase the film's images from your mind because the visual and aural composition of the film are as fresh as they are inviting. The film even has a touch of David Lynch with its shot of crabs on naked brains. SEE THIS FILM. THEN SEE IT AGAIN. I hope you enjoy it as thoroughly as I did, but if you don't, you may want to consider another, less artful form of entertainment. Don't forget, it's a film directed by world-class cinematographer, Andre Turpin. Plus, it has two of the most beautiful women you will ever see in any film. If this is not reason enough, you must not like your life. See a therapist and try to cure yourself. Shoft Shell Man is pure delight. It is like a gourmet, ten-course meal at your favorite restaurant. It is like great sex with someone new. It... is... a crab in the head.

Not your usual Canadian film

[nancywarhol · 9/10 · 26 September 2006]

I would take a film that has a great feel over a film with a great plot any day, which is not even the case here, because I would argue that the plot has more than enough to keep you interested. David LaHaye's utterly watchable performance is spot on and unlike any other you'll ever see -- and men don't usually get kudos from women for their portrayal of immature men. And if that wasn't enough, André Turpin, who directed and shot this, has a way of making films look like they're lit with light that's bounced off crystals -- there's this beautiful sheen you'd only expect to see in movies from the other side of the Atlantic. My favourite part is that even though it's got the makings of a serious drama, the dialogue is a smart and hilarious ode to the Québécois language that makes no apologies for not being from France. Quite honestly, my favourite Canadian film from the last 10 years.

Yes, they are unlikable

[amok1980 · 7/10 · 11 February 2002]

The comments about the characters being unlikable are right; these are not people I would want crashing at my place for the weekend. That being said, they sure do make for an interesting watch on the screen. While not as good as Maelstrom, Un crabe was still well worth the time spent watching it. 7/10

Very Good Quebec Film

[andrewashere-886-187667 · 8/10 · 15 August 2018]

This is a very good film from Quebec. The acting was nice, it was a really understated drama but at the same time had really strange (in a good way) elements to it and it had something to say. Can't go into too many details without spilling the beans but it's a good story about a guy who's kind of a knob and who has a lot of trouble with relationships both with women and just friends in general.

You can't please everyone. And why would you want to?

[xineann · 10/10 · 20 May 2002]

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.

A good movie ?

[bodx · 5/10 · 15 March 2002]

Recently, this movie has won something like 8 awards in Quebec's movie awards (Les Jutras) and I frankly don't know why, because this film is nothing more than a really beautifully shot movie with cool actors, but that's all. There's so much holes in the scenario that some really good moments get lost in the will to twist the plot. I am really not happy with this movie and surely not proud... and some scenes are just unnecessary for the plot. 5/10 because half of it is good...

Original film with interesting moments, but not as good as "Maelström" (2000).

[Donald Walkinshaw · 7/10 · 5 June 2002]

I liked this movie because it is so refreshingly different from the typical Hollywood formula. The lead actor, David La Haye was incredible. How did he not win the Genie award for Best Actor? This film had a good mix of humour and drama. However, I thought that the plot and characterization could have been a bit tighter. Also, it's hard to be absorbed into a movie when you don't like any of the characters. However, it was a great study of the contradicting actions that people exhibit everyday. The main characters are multidimensional (almost too much so), and that is what makes the film so interesting. The visual style is also compelling, with a lot of underwater shots. I recommend this film for people who are intelligent, serious, and do not need explosions, and gratuitous sex to be excited. No Hollywood b.s. here. The director was the cinematographer on "Maelström" (2000), which is similar to "Crabe", however much better, in my opinion.

A solid Montreal film

[justin-111 · 4 February 2002]

Un crabe dans la tête tells a good story and tells it well. The characters are acted well and convincingly and the camera work communicates atmosphere effectively. A few details (the Biosphere scene near the end?!) are weaker or confusing, but are easily forgiven. Like many films made by Montrealers (Maëlstrom, Eldorado, Un zoo la nuit ... among many others), this one also feels like real-life Montreal with just a little extra fantasy added. There's nothing untrue about the depiction of the city. (In contrast, a Hollywood production set here, such as The Score, looks and feels like Montreal as seen by tourists from the U.S.)

Alex's main characteristic - excess desire to please combined with an incapacity to say no - is ladled on a bit thickly. He does become frustrating and even annoying to watch by the middle of the film. But his behavior, in less extreme form, is not at all uncommon (at least among Canadian Gen-Xers!). The film will have well served its purpose if it incites us to recognize the tendency and snap out of it.

A great insight into an eternal dreamer's mind having to face reality

[gothyk-1 · 8/10 · 16 August 2005]

Definitely,this movie is surprising! Although the pace seems long at the beginning, we get into that movie impressively well. The cast and the characters' background is such well-developed. David La Haye is absolutely tremendous in that performance, and as great as French-Canadian viewers got used to see him in along the years. In response to some comments I read about this film, I'd only tell that this movie is based on the characters' psychology, and not the theme that represents each of them. Thus, this movie is of course not an arts movie. If you expect such, I understand you maybe don't like it.

Another great pride of Quebec's cinema! 8 out of 10!