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That's how Mary (Sophie Marceau) describes things as she struggles with her feelings for two different men. This is not like a movie, where everything is clear, expected, organized, with a clear purpose. Ironically, this is a case where the movie is indeed chaos, unexpected, pain, disorder... and yet, much like Mary, one can't help but be drawn to it.
Mad Love follows Mary's boyfriend, Micky (Tchéky Karyo), a bank robber that, along with his gang, stumble upon León (Francis Huster) and take him under his wing, only to have him fall in love with Mary starting a complicated love triangle. But if that's complicated, so is director's Andrzej Żuławski's approach to the film.
Chaos, unexpected, and disorder are definitely ways that can describe the film. There is a frenetic and chaotic energy to it that can certainly be off-putting. I remember thinking "Wow, this scene is crazy!" as I saw the opening heist, thinking it would be a one-scene thing, and then 20 minutes later realizing "Oh, so the whole film is like this". Much like León, who decides to jump in with the gang and follow them, you have to jump in and surrender to it.
It has been a couple of days since I watched it and, like Takoma said, I'm still not entirely sure that I understood *everything* that happened. Still, there's a mesmerizing quality to the film; a combination of that manic "disorder" and a dance-like harmony to the direction and the actors movements. The performances, especially Marceau, also help you hold your attention.
But being honest, despite some qualities I appreciated, it was a challenge and a bit of a chore to get through. It's the kind of film that I just couldn't vibe with, and I pushed through only to get it done for the Hall of Fame 27. However, I can see myself going back to it again sometime, with a different mindset, and see if everything is clear... expected, organized, with a clear purpose, or if what I get again is chaos, unexpected, pain, disorder.
Grade:
MAD LOVE
(1985, Żuławski)
Freebie
(1985, Żuławski)
Freebie
"Here, with you... is not like a movie or in books, where everything is clear... expected, organized, with a clear purpose. Everything is chaos... unexpected, pain, disorder."
That's how Mary (Sophie Marceau) describes things as she struggles with her feelings for two different men. This is not like a movie, where everything is clear, expected, organized, with a clear purpose. Ironically, this is a case where the movie is indeed chaos, unexpected, pain, disorder... and yet, much like Mary, one can't help but be drawn to it.
Mad Love follows Mary's boyfriend, Micky (Tchéky Karyo), a bank robber that, along with his gang, stumble upon León (Francis Huster) and take him under his wing, only to have him fall in love with Mary starting a complicated love triangle. But if that's complicated, so is director's Andrzej Żuławski's approach to the film.
Chaos, unexpected, and disorder are definitely ways that can describe the film. There is a frenetic and chaotic energy to it that can certainly be off-putting. I remember thinking "Wow, this scene is crazy!" as I saw the opening heist, thinking it would be a one-scene thing, and then 20 minutes later realizing "Oh, so the whole film is like this". Much like León, who decides to jump in with the gang and follow them, you have to jump in and surrender to it.
It has been a couple of days since I watched it and, like Takoma said, I'm still not entirely sure that I understood *everything* that happened. Still, there's a mesmerizing quality to the film; a combination of that manic "disorder" and a dance-like harmony to the direction and the actors movements. The performances, especially Marceau, also help you hold your attention.
But being honest, despite some qualities I appreciated, it was a challenge and a bit of a chore to get through. It's the kind of film that I just couldn't vibe with, and I pushed through only to get it done for the Hall of Fame 27. However, I can see myself going back to it again sometime, with a different mindset, and see if everything is clear... expected, organized, with a clear purpose, or if what I get again is chaos, unexpected, pain, disorder.
Grade: