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Confusion of Genders More at IMDbPro »La confusion des genres (original title)
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| Index | 13 reviews in total |
12 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Amusing, very French comedy of ill humor and the bisexual life, 29 November 2005
Author:
Chris Knipp from Berkeley, California
The "confusion" here is more a plethora, an embarrassment of riches and
of choices. At the center of every scene is bisexual (or is he just
gay?) lawyer Alain (Pascal Greggory). Everybody wants him, or thinks he
wants them -- handsome imprisoned murderer Marc (Vincent Martinez),
cute gay boy Christophe (Cyrille Thouvenin), attractive and
accomplished law partner Laurence (Nathalie Richard, who's more Alain's
age); the prisoner's (former) girlfriend Babette (Julie Gayet); Marc's
prison-mate Étienne (noted singer Alain Bashung) even gets amusingly
involved at the end. Alain and his law partner are talking about
marrying, and it's all practical and boring, except that it's impulsive
too. Through it all Pascal Greggory has that bored, annoyed look he
always has; but he registers a lot of other looks too -- he's a
skillful movie actor and for good reason one of the busiest in France.
This is very French, a sort of comedy of ill humor, sex, and
indecision. The hilariously grumpy and irritable "haute bourgeoisie"
relatives of Laurence and Alain who come into play when wedding bells
are in the offing include the great Bulle Ogier as Laurence's mother.
The various nude scenes aren't just titillation; they're all skillfully
and sometimes hilariously illustrative of characters and situations and
of Alain's "embarras du choix."
"La Confusion des genres" is dry and amusing and well paced and has an
excellent cast but it's very French and you wouldn't necessarily expect
it to go over well with Americans, and it didn't. US critics pretty
much hated it. On Metacritic it got a 39. Many American viewers think
it's pretentious and unfunny. They miss the witty but blunt dialogue
(which all the French critics complement), and they don't appreciate
Greggory, who's perfect here, or the delicately observed range of
French social and personality types. This is as good a treatment of the
pains and pleasures of the bisexual life as seen from the French
21st-century standpoint as, at the time, was John Schlesinger's very
English (1971) "Sunday Bloody Sunday"; but as a movie it doesn't carry
quite as much weight and clearly like some wines it does not travel
well.
Doing the voice-over commentary in English for the American DVD didn't
turn out very well either. Director Duran Cohen studied at NYU Film
School and and is fluent, but he's paired with Greggory and Thouvenin,
who're pretty tongue-tied, and the conversation never gets going. Why
didn't they do it in French with subtitles as Kassovitz, Cassel, and
Reno did so entertainingly for the US "Crimson Rivers" DVD? Then maybe
they would have been more relaxed and talkative, as the "Crimson
Rivers" team was, and something more informative would have resulted.
13 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
questions and choices, 1 October 2004
Author:
darciec from Under the Rainbow
In the DVD commentary, Pascal Greggory and the director state that this
is not a comedy about bisexuality, it is a comedy about sexuality and
choices. This is so true. Alain faces the choices we all face. Does he
choose the person who is more like a partner than a romance? Does he
choose the younger, eager lover who offers little more than sex? Does
he choose to pursue the yet-to-be-obtained intriguing person he has
recently met? A few other peripheral choices also hover nearby. But
even more basic questions are asked: Does he have to choose? Can he
choose more than one option? Will any choice make him completely happy
if it cancels out all the others? This film made me reflect on these
questions and choices in my own life, which is exactly what a good film
should do. I think anyone who is over 30 and unmarried should be able
to relate to Alain, at least on this level.
A few reviewers have asked why so many characters are attracted to the
narcissistic, emotionally remote Alain, but in my experience, it is
often just this type of person who has many people attracted to him.
For some, he is a challenge. For others, he is safely unattainable. For
yet others, he is someone who will hurt them (which they expect), or
who won't be hurt too much if they leave him. Alain mirrors the other
characters' loneliness back to them, and one wonders if any of them
would be happy if they ended up being Alain's choice – and if he could
ever stick with that choice.
If you're happily content in a stable, long-lasting relationship, then
you will see this film as a comedy about things that happen to other
people. But if your heart still has the capacity to lead you in
directions you don't expect, this film will have greater meaning for
you.
8 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Great performances, and an authentic storyline., 9 August 2005
Author:
Bostonbabs from United States
While it is definitely true that there are characters that do not
experience a 180 degree change by the end of the film, the characters
don't stay the same, either. And since that isn't the plot point that
the movie hinges on, it doesn't feel like it matters in the end. The
majority of the characters come across as very real people,
three-dimensional, and not movie-clichés.
The actors are wonderful; there is no hesitation in any of the
performances (even in the most revealing scenes). I bought the American
DVD, which included a commentary with the director, and actors Pascal
Greggory and Cyrille Thouvenin, and was especially delighted to find
that they had done the commentary in English.
12 out of 20 people found the following review useful:
Annoying "comedy" of narcissism, 23 September 2001
Author:
ChrisWN from Santa Cruz, CA
This is by far the worst movie I've seen from France in the past 5 years. This supposed comedy is anything but funny. The lead character is a narcissist so wrapped up in his work & making appearances that he's unaware of the impact he has on those around him. Why anyone would associate with this creep, much less have an affair with him is beyond me. His character is so abhorrent that there is no empathy from the viewer to the events that take place. It also fails as any type of social critique or satire as it is decidedly unfunny and doesn't create any insight into its subject matter.
7 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
One of the funniest comedies in years, 30 June 2001
Author:
David Ehrenstein (cllrdr@earthlink.net) from Los Angeles, Ca.
A giant custard pie smack in the kisser of anyone who has ever claimed "but I'm really bisexual," when that's not the case at all "La Confusion des Genres" is miles ahead of the formulaic likes of "Le Placard" when it comes to making a comedy about gay life today. As he's shown in films as diverse as "Pauline at the Beach" and "Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train," Pascal Greggory is a master of guilty sexual sneakiness. Worth seeing for the wedding scene alone.
3 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
This is a comedy?, 3 January 2007
Author:
ekeby from wisconsin
Just watched this and came here to read the comments and see the
rating. I never would have guessed this is meant to be a comedy. Maybe
it doesn't translate, culturally. It didn't strike me as funny in the
least. What I saw was the central character, a male bisexual, pivoting
between men and women without any rhyme or reason. I suppose that's the
joke--that bisexuality offers too many options.
Seriously, I saw one or two things that were amusing, particularly at
the end, but there was little in this movie other than the tragic
consequences of indecision. Not funny. Then again, maybe it's just my
puritan heritage shining through.
The actors are pretty, and I found it interesting to watch (it's
France!), but I can't say it was really worthwhile. Put it at the
bottom of your Netflix list.
4 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
Fabulous French Farce, 16 December 2007
Author:
donwc1996 from United States
Laughed my head off - a howling laugh riot - sexy for sure - entire cast is gorgeous, but it's so funny you don't have time to think about whatever hormones may be rushing through your body as the beautiful people parade before you - for me it says just how absurd we all are and what complications we create over nothing! Left me with a wonderful feeling at how uncomplicated my own life is and how I have managed to avoid complication by keeping things simple - also by keeping wacky people out of my life! Like all French films, this one is character-driven, something Hollywood doesn't know anything about and which distinguishes French films above all others. There is something about French films that is truly unique and this one is a perfect example of French film at its best - although I cannot think of any French film I did not like.
6 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
???A Question Mark of a Man????, 26 August 2005
Author:
arizona-philm-phan from Arizona
(1) Poor Alain......what a strange man. He is damaged goods, and
perhaps that's why we are shown several scenes of his mother:: The
Queen of Damaged Goods. Alain can sometimes show passion with someone,
but he can't be constant with someone.....he can't be monogamous. What
a question mark of a human being.
(2) But it is not only Alain who needs our pity:: Poor Christophe---
Alain is the opposite of who this young man needs (remember, if you
will, what C's own father says that he needs). Cyrille Thouvenin does a
very good job with the Christophe role (his performance alone makes
this review's 6th Star), but he is able to do oh-so-much more in that
greater French production:: "JUST A QUESTION OF LOVE."
(3) PS: Alain's life is not just one of Confusion; it is one of utter
chaos.
Well Made But Ultimately, 10 August 2009
Author:
Franco-LA from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
The plot was too confusing and the protagonist was not that endearing to hold your attention. The acting was good, particularly the lead; however, his personality is not one that affirms he could have attracted such a broad and diverse group of males and females -- essentially everyone who came into his immediate orbit. The relationship between his employer seemed the more comfortable and most developed one and therefore her willingness to both sleep with and marry him was more believable. They both went into this disaster with eyes wide open and it appeared that they were willing to do it because they felt they had no real choices. It's an interesting movie and one can see the appeal to others, but it's a bit more precious without saying as much to recommend to everyone.
1 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
confusion is the correct word for this French comedy-drama, 13 May 2007
Author:
Jay Harris (sirbossman6969@yahoo.com) from United States
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
What we have here is a confusing film with confused divergent
characters who for the most part do not seem connected in any way
whatsoever.
We have a non-handsome middle aged bi-sexual lawyer,
We have a female lawyer as his some time sex partner.
We have his bi-sexual client in nearby prison with a life sentence
who has the hots for the lawyer as well as this young female
hairdresser, who gets involved with the lawyer.
Now we add in this a teen aged lad who has the absolute hots for
lawyer.
The above sounds crazy & I feel if the characters had any idea of the
roles they were playing,this may have come over much better.
The director made this as a drama instead of a farcical satiric comedy,
which the film really is.
Thusly I cannot give this film any praise.
Rating ** (out of 4) 63 points (out of 100) IMDb 5 (out of 10)
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