Kung-fu master! (1988)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Agnès Varda

Writers:

Jane Birkin (story)
Agnès Varda (writer)

Release Date:

November 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He was 15. She was 40. Love is where you find it.

Plot:

Mary-Jane asks, "Do all women fall in love with a boy, or just those without sons?" She's divorced with two daughters...

Plot Keywords:

Girl Man Relationship | Paris France | Real Life Mother And Daughter Playing Mother And Daughter | London England | Woman Youngster Love

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jane Birkin	...	Mary-Jane
Mathieu Demy	...	Julien
Charlotte Gainsbourg	...	Lucy
Lou Doillon	...	Lou
Gary Chekchak	...	Un jeune
Cyril Houplain	...	Un jeune
Frank Laurent	...	Un jeune
Aurélien Hermant	...	Un jeune
Jérémie Luntz	...	Un jeune
Thomas Bensaïd	...	Un jeune
Pénélope Pourriat	...	Une jeune
Ninon Vinsonneau	...	Une jeune
Bégonia Leis	...	Une jeune
Eva Simonet	...	L'amie
Judy Campbell	...	La mère

Also Known As:

Le petit Amour (USA)

Runtime:

USA:80 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

South Korea:18 | USA:R

Company:

Ciné Tamaris

Movie Connections:

Features Kung Fu Master (1984) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Save Me

A superb testimony to Agnes Varda's talent as a filmmaker

Having played the arcade game Kung-Fu Master in the 80s, I was nothing short of intrigued to see that Agnes Varda had used it as inspiration for a film. I have only recently been introduced to Varda's films, but cannot imagine the subject matter of this picture being in better hands. That a film exploring the ambivalent space of intergenerational relationships, at least with this degree of subtlety, could not be made in the United States goes without saying, particularly when the relationship involves an older woman and young boy. It also goes without saying that in the hands of many other directors a film addressing this subject matter would fail disastorously. Varda succeeds precisely because she approaches the film as a "love story," if one can forgive the trite expression. Not that she ignores the impossibility of the relationship; rather, by affectionately portraying Mary-Jane's (Jane Birkin) love for Julien (played by Demy's son), Varda confronts her viewer with the profound ambivalence of the situation. One might have forgiven her for accentuating the story with a more ironic tone. However, among Varda's many virtues as a filmmaker is the uncanny way in which she entangles her viewer in a web of feelings and relations, without retreating to irony. Next to Cleo from 5 to 7, this is arguably Varda's best film.