La face cachée de la lune (2003)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Robert Lepage

Writer:

Robert Lepage (writer)

Release Date:

17 September 2004 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

After the death of his mother, a man tries to discover a meaning to his life, to the universe and to rebuild a relationship with the only family he has left: his brother.

Plot Keywords:

Universe | Lecture | Cosmonaut | Canada | Video

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Robert Lepage	...	Phillippe / André
Anne-Marie Cadieux	...	La mère
Marco Poulin	...	Carl
Céline Bonnier	...	Nathalie
Fabrice Mongeau	...	Philippe á 15 ans
Raphaël Dury	...	Philippe á 7 ans
Étienne Bouchard-Dauphin	...	André á 8 ans
Gregory Hlady	...	L'interpréte
Yves Amyot	...	Le barman
Richard Fréchette	...	Le médecin
Érika Gagnon	...	Philippe's Supervisor
Sergei Priselkov	...	Alexei Leonov (as Sergei Prisselkov)
Sophie Faucher	...	Presenter
Lorraine Côté	...	Marie-Madeleine Bonsecours
Oleg Belkin	...	Le garde du corps

Also Known As:

The Far Side of the Moon (International: English title)

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

French | English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-7 | Iceland:12 | Germany:o.Al. | Singapore:NC-16 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva)

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

FCL Films

Trivia:

The film is an adaptation of the play of the same name, also written and directed by Robert Lepage.

Goofs:

Continuity: Anomalies in the time-line. Phillipe is supposed to be seven years older than Andre, who was born in July 1962 (year of the laundromat ["lavoir"] scene where his mother goes into labor with Andre). But in July 1969, only seven years later, as Neil Armstrong is stepping onto the moon, according to the credits, Phillipe is 15 and Andre is 8. This would put Phillipe's birth year at 1954 or 1955. But in "present day", Andre reminds Phillipe that he is 42 years old. On their mother's will papers, the date of he death is 11 December 2002. But Phillipe should be 47 or 48 in 2002.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) (TV)

A Simple Visual Journey

If you have never seen any of Lepage's work before, this is a good place to start. You will be entertained, educated and amazed by this movie that was created on a shoe-string budget. The movie is packed full of simple, but effective visuals that don't take over the movie, but seamlessly take you on a journey. I particularly liked the Green Screen effects, which (to the untrained eye) are seamless. The final scene in the airport with the large Aim Higher backdrop was the cream of the crop. I also thought that some of the transitions were simple, yet stunning. It is 'one of those films' you would normally find yourself watching on your own one afternoon. It's not for everyone, but if you are open minded, don't mind subtitles and want some light entertainment then this movie will not disappoint.