IslandGuru Who payed the critics

Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Cassandra Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Keith G We enjoyed this film, but I am mystified as to why it was made in black and white...???Apart from possibly conferring a dubious, instant 'world cinema/art movie' status it did absolutely nothing for the plot in my opinion and wasted some superb location and costume opportunities.It wasn't even executed particularly well, as most of the direction seemed to be in the modern style involving camera angles and sweeping movement and it had none of the classic 'set pieces' and static shots (panoramas, buildings etc.) of the earlier masters like the Japanese greats (Ozu, Kurosawa et al) The storyline, characters and acting should (and would) have been enough to lift this flic from the average - it simply does not benefit from being shot in black and white.Top honours must go to Vanessa Pardis for a superbly consistent performance which captured the (my) attention every time she was on the screen. I always have a little trouble with Daniel Auteil (it's the blank stare) but even he did very well despite signs of his advancing years making him look a little old for his leading lady - he is 22 years older than her after all!!Don't let all this put you off though - I rate this movie 8 out of 10 for still being refreshingly different in its treatment of unusual subjects and for carrying a story that was both engaging and entertaining.

Claudio Carvalho In Paris, the needy and unlucky Adèle (Vanessa Paradis) is a complete loser, used by all the men in her life. In a Parisian bridge in the night, when the Adèle is near to commit suicide, the knife thrower Gabor (Daniel Auteuil) invites her to be his target in his show. She accepts the invitation, and they become a great success in show business. Like two halves of a bill, when they separate, they become losers again. Soon they realize that only together they would succeed in life and find love with each other. "La Fille Sur le Pont" is a magnificent and delightful fairytale about two half-souls that meet each other in a Parisian bridge, filling their lives with lucky, happiness and love. The story in some moments recalls the wonderful films by Frank Capra, in other moments is quite erotic. The performances of Daniel Auteuil and Vanessa Paredis, showing a perfect chemistry, deserve a nomination to the Oscar. Most of their witty dialogs are fantastic, the direction of Patrice Leconte is splendid as usual and the black & white cinematography is stunning. "La Fille Sur le Pont" is a movie to be revisited many times and highly indicated to fans of filmed poetry. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil): "A Mulher e o Atirador de Facas" ("The Woman and the Knife Thrower")Note: On 08 Jul 2018 I saw this film again.

abidur rahman Like many other french movies, this movie is about the beauty of film making, it's about the art that does not necessarily depend on a story. There is a great amount of fantasy in this movie, like most good things in life. One thing that I really liked about the movie was the fact that you can take almost any frame and it could be part of a photography exhibition. Some people may complain about the story, which may be bland by itself; others may complain about the fairytale-type romance in the movie, which may seem too sentimental. But it is the excess of emotions that gives it the flavor of a fairytale. I'd never watch a movie to learn something, because good movies like good poetry is beauty itself, and we don't analyze that.

stephenpaultaylor My ex-girlfriend suggested this movie. She actually gave me a copy. I had thought, previously, since she dug (or seemed to dig) Henry Fool (she later said that she must've been influenced by me, after having attempted to watch Surviving Desire and turning it off because it was too "talky") that perhaps the movie would at least be remotely intriguing. It wasn't.It was a definite case of style over substance. Clearly influenced by MTV (or in Canada's case, Much Music), it was chock full of interesting camerawork, beautiful cinematography, but the sentiments were bland and the story annoying and the characters unappealing. The story is about two incredibly needy, albeit unusual people (well, one is a knife thrower and the other is suicidal) who are tied at the hip and experience this "serendipity" and esp regarding each other. Several scenes show them walking aroung "talking" to each other (each one is in another part of the world). The movie is meant to show this tragic, romantic love affair full of magic and wonder and telepathy, but in the end, it's just a load of hogwash. The film suffers from overwrought sentimentality and a grating, unbelievable storyline that is all about the forces of fate etc.I was just really put off by the whole fairy tale, Cinderella aspect to the story, which seems to broadcast that people can't survive alone, and there is one person out there who is your soul mate. I realize that my own personal biases may influence this opinion, but so be it. I'm not a big fan of fate/ destiny/ the idea that our lives are pre-written. This film is a sickening lecture on the presence of serendipidy and fate and, in the end, I wanted to watch something real and gritty (Trainspotting or something). I mean, I don't mind flights of fancy etc., but this film was trollop. If you're a hopeless romantic who believes in needy, clingy relationships full of jealousy and mistrust, then you may enjoy this flick. If you have more of a philisophical bent and you believe in choice and free will and aren't usually pursuaded by layers of glossy style to conceal the fact that the film is a drab fairy tale, don't see this film. Go see Swimming Pool or 400 Blows if you want excellent french cinema. Avoid this at all costs.I give it 1 out of 10.