Summer Hours

[lovejuice]

assumed we didn't already, we should have a thread for this one, considered many people here: Nick, 8, me, seem to like it.

it's wonderful. a less heavy-handed version of Rachel Getting Married (which is my favorite of 2008). i love that it's rich in conflict but low in confrontation. a gentle depiction of things falling apart.

my biggest complain has nothing to do with the movie itself, but with the title and the poster. i went in knowing absolutely nothing about the story, and it turned quite unexpected. i don't think "summer hours" and the picture of the three leads laughing on a bench quite do justice to the actual movie. if anything, it's misleading.

anyway, i'm surprised the movie doesn't seem to get more recognition among critics circle.

[number8]

Yeah, ambiguous for sure. I saw it knowing nothing too, except that it has Binoche.

[balmakboor]

Well, damn, not on Netflix yet. It's now on my radar though.

[MacGuffin]

Well, damn, not on Netflix yet. It's now on my radar though.

Don't expect to see it on Netflix until late next year, I'd guess. It's still in theaters, I think, and it's being distributed by IFC, who has a deal with Blockbuster where IFC produced movies have to stay exclusive to Blockbuster for 60 days. The thing about that is, as far as I know, IFC had no interest in distributing DVDs anyway. Thankfully, I read that they just recently picked up a DVD distributer, so when this Blockbuster contract ends, hopefully we'll being seeing movies like this, Antichrist, Frontier of the Dawn and The Man From London on DVD.

[Stay Puft]

It opens in Toronto this week, so I'll probably head down soon to see it.

[ledfloyd]

it's sublime. i've been trying to work up a review but never get very far. i'm not sure rachel getting married is a good analogue. the lack of confrontation is a big difference as you said. but assayas' film seems more concerned with the destructive force of globalization (a motif in his work) and the significance objects accrue.

there do seem to be a bunch of films (mostly great) out recently concerning families coming together for an event. this, rachel getting married, a christmas tale, still walking, likely a couple more i'm forgetting.

i wasn't blown away by this one as i was watching it, but it kept returning to my thoughts and slowly grew on me, right now i expect it to place on my year end top ten.

[chrisnu]

I'm convinced. This is playing near enough. Should be able to see it this weekend.

[trotchky]

How does this compare to Boarding Gate?

[trotchky]

Don't expect to see it on Netflix until late next year, I'd guess. It's still in theaters, I think, and it's being distributed by IFC, who has a deal with Blockbuster where IFC produced movies have to stay exclusive to Blockbuster for 60 days. The thing about that is, as far as I know, IFC had no interest in distributing DVDs anyway. Thankfully, I read that they just recently picked up a DVD distributer, so when this Blockbuster contract ends, hopefully we'll being seeing movies like this, Antichrist, Frontier of the Dawn and The Man From London on DVD.

IFC flicks can also be rented over Comcast On Demand. I was thinking about renting Summer Hours the other night.

[Benny Profane]

I saw this and liked it a lot as well. I believe the French to English translation of the title is a stretch at best, so that's why you feel it's misleading. I did too. I thought the ending was sad and great.

[lovejuice]

I saw this and liked it a lot as well. I believe the French to English translation of the title is a stretch at best, so that's why you feel it's misleading. I did too. I thought the ending was sad and great.
what's the more literal meaning of the french translation?

[number8]

I don't think that's true. The French title is "L'heure d'Ete" which does mean Summer Hours or Summer Time.

[Kurosawa Fan]

Another good film. I think at times it played things almost too quiet though, and came off feeling a bit dry. That's my lone complaint. I loved how the film set up the differences in eras (with nice subtlety), only to show that they aren't that far from each other at all. The last ten-fifteen minutes of the film was wonderful though.

[NickGlass]

I think at times it played things almost too quiet though, and came off feeling a bit dry. That's my lone complaint.

Oh, I believe you are mistaken. It's not dry reticence--it's casual elegance.

I love this film like a brother.

[Stay Puft]

This was wonderful. I love the sparing use of music. There are only three, maybe four tracks in the entire film, and they're used to wonderful effect. Particularly during the tour of the art works as the museum prepares them for display. The subsequent scene of Frédéric walking around the public display (no music) is also great, kind of like the entire film in a single movement, as we get the students who take the tour (the one guy seems casually indifferent, would rather be watching a movie), the curators with specific historical knowledge, and Frédéric with his personal, sentimental meanings. It's an intelligent, observant film that traces the multifarious ways that material objects can come to mediate relationships (or more accurately, have those meanings projected onto them). And, yeah, the last ten to fifteen minutes are wonderful. I love how the film develops the daughter, particulary that last scene with her boyfriend.