There is a disconnect between recent Denis Villeneuve films and his much earlier work. If Villeneuve is in such demand in the United States, film geeks would want to find his films from long ago.
Unlike his "American" work, Villeneuve wrote and directed Maelström. The writing makes a significant insight into Villeneuve that you don't get with his most recent work.
Oscar nomination should help people find Denis Villeneuve Quebec films
Maelström starts out with Bibiane, a young woman (Marie-Josée Croze), getting an abortion. The psychological trauma of that experience plus a few other distractions lead to an unfortunate accident where she hits an older man with her car resulting in his death.
Bibiane lives with a lot of guilt and doubt from not living up to her famous mother to her brother, who goes on and on about her failures.
When she runs into the son of the man she hit with her car, she pretends to be his father's neighbour and ends up dating the son.
Bibiane and the dead man's son each confess to a random stranger, who appears to be the same person. The advice is definitely the same. Don't worry about it. Just live your life.
Maelström takes a few shots for using a fish as a narrator. Given the themes of fish, seafood, and water, a fish narrator is not as odd as it sounds. The fish in Maelström is more relevant than the bear in Two Lovers and a Bear.
Villeneuve weaves human emotions with a bit of the surreal, but the human is what makes the film special.
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Croze is a well-established actress but was a novice when Villeneuve cast her in a difficult lead role. Though her character is sometimes pathetic, Croze gives Bibiane a spirit that makes you want to stick around this character.
Villeneuve builds the story a bit at an uneven pace where the middle portion is a bit too introspective. The final of the 3 portions contains plenty of elements that rescue the film.
The point of watching Maelstrom is the strong telling of a compelling human story. Current Villeneuve fans will get a intriguing insight into his storytelling. Maelstrom isn't as polished as some of his later work, including Polytechnique and Incendies. But Maelström is a key piece to the Denis Villeneuve puzzle.
Maelström won 5 Genie Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
video credit: YouTube/KVIFF
photo credit: Maelstrom film
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