I loved all the beauty I saw in this film. But apart from the gorgeous views and buildings and good music, what else does the film have to bring? Telling the sad story of our today's society is important, but let's not pretend that everything is fine and we should accept and live with it! I don't want to spoil it, so I'll let you watch and judge!
15 Reviews
It could be 1 or 10 in any case everybody will disagree
abisio21 March 2015
The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions were the only two movies about a group of unlikable people talking and talking and talking that I enjoyed repeatedly and still once in a while I watch them again. I enjoyed other Arcand movies too; so I can state that is one of my preferred directors and found his subjects matters quite interesting and his approach original.
Well "La Regne de la Beaute" (which translates in "The reign of Beauty") is not the case. The whole movie on precious scenery after the other; beautiful people in each frame; perfectly dressed and even the music is beautiful; but what was the point of all that?.
The intellectual (but overall shallow) bourgeois French / Canadian society it is one of his preferred subjects; as it is the declining health care in Canada (or at least in Quebec); but none of these themes are quite developed here.
The infidelity of a young successful architect without considering his wife's slow descending into madness; could be an statement about a society that became so cold that family is no longer important (none of the characters has kids and nobody really seems to care about infidelities or jealously ) At the end is about a year in the life of a group of people with lots of personal issues resolved in an absolute cold manner.
I will perhaps seat through the movie again; but at first sight colder than all the snow in Quebec.
Well "La Regne de la Beaute" (which translates in "The reign of Beauty") is not the case. The whole movie on precious scenery after the other; beautiful people in each frame; perfectly dressed and even the music is beautiful; but what was the point of all that?.
The intellectual (but overall shallow) bourgeois French / Canadian society it is one of his preferred subjects; as it is the declining health care in Canada (or at least in Quebec); but none of these themes are quite developed here.
The infidelity of a young successful architect without considering his wife's slow descending into madness; could be an statement about a society that became so cold that family is no longer important (none of the characters has kids and nobody really seems to care about infidelities or jealously ) At the end is about a year in the life of a group of people with lots of personal issues resolved in an absolute cold manner.
I will perhaps seat through the movie again; but at first sight colder than all the snow in Quebec.
Visually Gorgeous and What Else?
Moviegoer1924 September 2017
I saw this a couple of hours ago and am thinking about it now. First, it left me wanting to visit Quebec City, especially during the winter. The city and its surrounding countryside looked beautiful. Some of the homes in the film, which after all is about architects, are stunning. But mainly it's the story about one ambitious young architect who actually says that love is not the be all and end all in life. He lives this philosophy in that he loves more than one woman at once and chooses not to be faithful.
The ending of the film was sort of odd in that it just happened, without showing how, and we the viewers have to assume what happened. In that assumption is confirmation of the film's meaning, i.e., Luc had to pursue his lust/love of the moment, though that didn't mean that he no longer "loved" the previous ones. He just couldn't stay with them for he needs the new and novel. He is described as ambitious with regard to his architecture, and I'd say he is with his loves, too, in that he seems to keep trying for someone new and more beautiful.
Though Luc is portrayed as gentle in his personality, and subtle, the truth is he's a selfish macho person who constantly plays sports - six different ones in the film - not including hunting, in which he shoots geese, and can't help but fall in love and get involved with beautiful women. And, he appears happy, despite some intimation of guilt; he gets over it pretty well. He is the true powerful, white male, enjoying the best that life has to offer.
The ending of the film was sort of odd in that it just happened, without showing how, and we the viewers have to assume what happened. In that assumption is confirmation of the film's meaning, i.e., Luc had to pursue his lust/love of the moment, though that didn't mean that he no longer "loved" the previous ones. He just couldn't stay with them for he needs the new and novel. He is described as ambitious with regard to his architecture, and I'd say he is with his loves, too, in that he seems to keep trying for someone new and more beautiful.
Though Luc is portrayed as gentle in his personality, and subtle, the truth is he's a selfish macho person who constantly plays sports - six different ones in the film - not including hunting, in which he shoots geese, and can't help but fall in love and get involved with beautiful women. And, he appears happy, despite some intimation of guilt; he gets over it pretty well. He is the true powerful, white male, enjoying the best that life has to offer.
More Proof That You Should Never Channel Surf Late at Night
mike338629 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Wonder why this movie only has seven User Reviews? Here, I'll tell you . . .
If this movie represents what 30-something has become - especially for women - I'm glad I'm both old and male. A too-perfect architect meets another too-perfect person (described in the movie info as "strange", for no discernible reason whatsoever) and dabbles in too-perfect sex for reasons that are never made clear, only to arrive back home to his clinging and equally beautiful, albeit too-competitive, blond wife who begs him never to leave her. He immediately expresses his undying love for her then sets up more trysts with the brunette beauty in Toronto, then later sees his blond wife kissing another . . . wait for it . . . WOMAN! Worse, he doesn't ask her about it until much later when she has some type of too-perfect anxiety breakdown.
Then he goes to a too-perfect - female - doctor FRIEND because he thinks he might have contracted "something" in Toronto . . . and we ain't talking a common cold. When he gets nervous being examined she assures him that she sees at least a dozen penises every day . . . we are left to wonder if she means in her medical practice or socially. From this awkward - yet titillating (he admits to her) - experience, we have to see the totally unpleasant thing of an old guy - his work associate - being sick in the hospital, then dying . . . all totally ugly to too-perfect people.
Somewhere the wife sleeps surrounded by his shotguns, which he refers to as "rifles" . . . proving that he should not be allowed near anything resembling a firearm, and neither should his too-perfect-anxiety-ridden-wife. The movie ends - sorta - after he gets called upon to design an abbey in Paris where he runs into the Toronto beauty, now slightly older and wearing glasses . . . he is also slightly older, but still too-perfect, and is with a pert young thing, leaving us to wonder if it is wife #2 or another fling as the movie ends with too-perfect-HGTV shots of houses he apparently designed . . . or maybe they were just boxes with windows . . . I fergit . . . I wuz getting sleepy.
If this movie represents what 30-something has become - especially for women - I'm glad I'm both old and male. A too-perfect architect meets another too-perfect person (described in the movie info as "strange", for no discernible reason whatsoever) and dabbles in too-perfect sex for reasons that are never made clear, only to arrive back home to his clinging and equally beautiful, albeit too-competitive, blond wife who begs him never to leave her. He immediately expresses his undying love for her then sets up more trysts with the brunette beauty in Toronto, then later sees his blond wife kissing another . . . wait for it . . . WOMAN! Worse, he doesn't ask her about it until much later when she has some type of too-perfect anxiety breakdown.
Then he goes to a too-perfect - female - doctor FRIEND because he thinks he might have contracted "something" in Toronto . . . and we ain't talking a common cold. When he gets nervous being examined she assures him that she sees at least a dozen penises every day . . . we are left to wonder if she means in her medical practice or socially. From this awkward - yet titillating (he admits to her) - experience, we have to see the totally unpleasant thing of an old guy - his work associate - being sick in the hospital, then dying . . . all totally ugly to too-perfect people.
Somewhere the wife sleeps surrounded by his shotguns, which he refers to as "rifles" . . . proving that he should not be allowed near anything resembling a firearm, and neither should his too-perfect-anxiety-ridden-wife. The movie ends - sorta - after he gets called upon to design an abbey in Paris where he runs into the Toronto beauty, now slightly older and wearing glasses . . . he is also slightly older, but still too-perfect, and is with a pert young thing, leaving us to wonder if it is wife #2 or another fling as the movie ends with too-perfect-HGTV shots of houses he apparently designed . . . or maybe they were just boxes with windows . . . I fergit . . . I wuz getting sleepy.
True blue Denys Arcand movie
ElClaudio25 May 2014
Most critics have scorned at this movie for not being the usual politically, critically engaged Denys Arcand movie. Arcand started by exposing the many ills of a corrupt and dominant liberal (in the economic sense) society, used a lot of sarcasm in later movies to depict the ills of large state bureaucracies. This movie makes no exception as he stages architecture juries and again Quebec's health system. I do not agree with some of his reductionist statements, but I do love all of his movies for being pure art. "Le règne de la beauté" is by far his most achieved artistic statement, whereas he brings out the beauty of all the characters,making them so endearing, and of course showing the best sceneries across the four seasons in the province he truly loves.
Where's the excitement?
punchline924 December 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Nothing happens in this movie. It's just about a guy who cheats on his hot wife with a woman he briefly knew in his past. Granted she's also hot, but I expected his wife, who was on the verge of a mental breakdown the entire movie to find out about the affair and lose her s**t. Or maybe expect the side chick to go ballistic and kill the guy's wife..make it look like an accident. I guess those scenarios are too played out for this movie cause as I stated, nothing happens in it!! At the end it's an amicable split for the married couple and nobody gets hurt, in fact they both flourish in their relationships and careers. Wow..what a waste of 100 minutes of my life.
It had low expectations and it was better than I thought
mb960720 May 2014
Being a huge fan of ''Le Déclin de l'Empire Américain'' and of ''Les Invasions Barbares'' I was anticipating this film to be pretty awesome until I read reviews that were saying that even though the images are absolutely stunning, the movie was empty. Well I definitely agree about the images, but the film wasn't empty at all. It was a realistic look at the life of a beautiful, successful young adult. The characters are ''modern'' if I can use such a term. They admit to cheat on their partner without any guilt like it was normal and I feel a little social criticism on Arcand's part. It's like the film Nashville, there's not really a story, but some observations by the director. I don't compare this movie with Nashville, but I think you get the point. It's a beautifully shot realistic view into a young successful architect life
filming locations
anoukv11 December 2020
Lively Sex as Well as Sports in This Young Architect's Life!
gparker184221 May 2014
I intend to see this film again, to follow its action and dialog (with subtitles) more closely than I could at the cinema house, if and when it comes out on DVD. That DVD incarnation of this film is quite likely, given the fame and popularity of Denis Arcand's films; this one is still in the theaters here in Québec, director Denis Arcand's home province. The movie is essentially a pastoral, by turns urban, by turns rural pastoral, in the life of a promising young male architect. There are lots of sports that feature in the life that he and his woman, the latter a gym teacher, anyway, lead. She has a lesbian dalliance, and he takes up with a woman from Toronto (who later in the film comes to take a position in Quebec City).
Do not let all that yuppie quality and comfort of lifestyle deter you. Éric Bruneau is a stunningly handsome, slender but very appealingly and tautly muscled young man (with a nice face, too). Women and gay men will "flip" at his numerous scenes shirtless and buck-nakedly nude. It is worth seeing the film if only to gawk at this extraordinarily beautiful young actor; there even are moments, fleeting ones, admittedly, of full frontal nudity. The women are attractive, too. I hope eventually to have a better idea of what the various goings-on really add up to. (I am very fluent in French, having lived and worked in Québec for many years, but my hearing is beginning to deteriorate as I age, so subtitles help more and more. The magnificent Québec scenery, too, is gorgeous and very skillfully filmed.
Do not let all that yuppie quality and comfort of lifestyle deter you. Éric Bruneau is a stunningly handsome, slender but very appealingly and tautly muscled young man (with a nice face, too). Women and gay men will "flip" at his numerous scenes shirtless and buck-nakedly nude. It is worth seeing the film if only to gawk at this extraordinarily beautiful young actor; there even are moments, fleeting ones, admittedly, of full frontal nudity. The women are attractive, too. I hope eventually to have a better idea of what the various goings-on really add up to. (I am very fluent in French, having lived and worked in Québec for many years, but my hearing is beginning to deteriorate as I age, so subtitles help more and more. The magnificent Québec scenery, too, is gorgeous and very skillfully filmed.
Not bad and visually stunning
Tucsonmom24 May 2021
I found it visually gorgeous throughout, which ain't nothing. The characters could be better revealed and a lot is glossed over, both morally and practically speaking, but the actors were fine and the story was interesting. I'd never watch it again, but had to weigh in to provide some balance for all the haters.
Poorly written and produced
qui_j19 May 2020
Really wanted to like this film but a poorly written script, choppy editing, and some seriously bad acting made that an impossible task. Scenes seemed to be stuck together in a random fashion and that made it impossible for any continuity or character development. It was not possible to finish the film at all!
An homage to beauty in general
human224 May 2014
Personally I liked all of Denys Arcand movie I saw, I've seen "L'age des Tenebres" four times at the cinema and then some more when I bought the DVD... I had some expectations when I heard this movie was coming out, and I must say I haven't been disappointed at all, even if I believe this is maybe not a movie for everybody... There's no real story who would make the film worthwhile by itself, I believe that to appreciate it the viewer must immerse himself in all the beauty depicted in the picture; beautiful actors inside and out, beautiful and picturesque countryside, beautiful music all along, beautiful buildings, beautiful sex scenes with beautiful naked womans... I think this movie fit right in Denys Arcand's style, I think if you liked his previous movies and are not too superficial in your expectations you won't be disappointed at all... It's kind of a poem, filmmaker Sofia Coppola tried to do something like that with her 2010 movie "Somewhere" about the relationship of a rock star and his young teenage daughter, but in my opinion she missed her shot in a gigantic way compared to this one... In her movie there were things like 5 minutes of strippers doing nothing but dancing at their pole, I understand we're supposed to immerse ourselves into the protagonist's world but there's a limit to feeding boredom to the viewer... Overall I didn't see the time fly watching this picture and I didn't come out of the screening room of the theatre, so I suppose it will be entertaining for at least some persons who appreciate beauty, like me...
Beautiful Indeed
chateau1213 October 2018
Love the work of Arcand and this effort is among his best. Visually stunning cinematography and strong acting throughout, in particular a strong performance turned in by Melanie Merkosky. Totally an enjoyable flic, two thumbs up as they used to say when critics mattered.
Emotional Beauty
samw-245493 February 2023
So much to like about this movie - if you can appreciate the content rather than what's missing. Excellent acting, beautiful scenery, interesting storyline. Could be 3 hours long and go into more detail. Leaves you to imagine what was really happening in the marriage and how the lives of the three main characters went forward. One of those movies where you want more - more details, more of what led to the events that transpired. I feel the writer, director, or both we're allowing you to feel the story rather than explain it. To allow you to experience the emotion that each of the main characters were feeling.
The reign of the 6% of most beautiful men
william_moon26 September 2022
Yes these 6% of men who look better than 94% will take up more succes with job, sports or women than any other. Those 6% will be the examples of selfmade.
This is the dream life we all could have in the age of "lookism". Value? Who cares? Character? What for? Just live and take.
The titles of Arcand are always so scientific, yet we see a play of such entertainment, that we forget how analytical this movie is set up. It is not a warning tale or anything moral. It is plainly how it is the game we all play. Most people will not like what they see in this movie. Their subconcious might see it and will hate it, so it will go back to the surface of the movie to critizise it's story. Only forgetting that with a 94% liklyhood, they are the loosers of this story.
This is the dream life we all could have in the age of "lookism". Value? Who cares? Character? What for? Just live and take.
The titles of Arcand are always so scientific, yet we see a play of such entertainment, that we forget how analytical this movie is set up. It is not a warning tale or anything moral. It is plainly how it is the game we all play. Most people will not like what they see in this movie. Their subconcious might see it and will hate it, so it will go back to the surface of the movie to critizise it's story. Only forgetting that with a 94% liklyhood, they are the loosers of this story.
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