Les corps impatients (2003)

Director:

Xavier Giannoli

Writers:

Xavier Giannoli (writer)
Christian de Montella (novel)

Release Date:

23 April 2003 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Paul and Charlotte are in love. Charlotte discovers she has a grave malady and Paul supports her. But Paul is also attracted to Ninon...

Plot Keywords:

Based On Novel

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Laura Smet	...	Charlotte
Nicolas Duvauchelle	...	Paul
Marie Denarnaud	...	Ninon
Catherine Salviat	...	La Mère
Maurice Antoni	...	Professeur Verdoux
Julien Bouvard	...	Julien
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Louis-Do de Lencquesaing	...	L'interne
Catherine Ducerf	...	La vendeuse de perruques
Rodrigue Grego	...	Rodrigue
Alexandra Hojer	...	Fille de la plage 2
Roman Rouzier	...	Le chirurgien
Manou Van Stipdonk	...	Fille de la plage 1 (as Manou San-Stipdonk)

Also Known As:

Eager Bodies (International: English title)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

DTS

Certification:

France:U | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud)

Company:

Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)

Inconsequential art house fare

The film features a quiet, observing performance by Laura Smet, as a young French woman dealing with a disease and the end of her life as she knows it.

Her boyfriend, Paul, may or may not be in love with her, and vice versa; her hospitalization only complicates the issue. He cares about her, up to a point (though, the fact that he smokes around her even when he knows the nature of her diagnosis comes off as more than a little disrespectful). She becomes increasingly more resentful, bitter and impossible, especially with the arrival of a cousin she hasn't seen if years.

EAGER BODIES is reminiscent of Lars Von Trier's BREAKING THE WAVES, both in look and with a girlfriend pushing her lover toward another. The cousin would seem to be a perfect match. But, there's the flaw: there's no real connection between these two individuals outside of basic sexual attraction and being drawn together by circumstance. I wish one of them had taken a second to acknowledge that fact, but since neither one does, at least _his_ top priority must be sex. And, so one could reasonably conclude that he doesn't truly love his dying girlfriend, so why should we care if he is happy after she's gone? Why should we care that she would care?

There's no investment in these characters, and the film is ultimately rather passive, even when it takes a turn for the violent. I also found a three way sex scene to be as unconvincing as it was unnecessary.

Still, Smet is good. I appreciate the subdued tone of the film, and the actors are attractive. Not bad for a winding down Sunday evening on the festival circuit.