GIRL ON THE BRIDGE review
Published at: Aug. 16, 2000, 2:44 a.m. CST by headgeek
Sometimes you simply lose track of time. Sometimes
you confuse having talked relentlessly about a film,
you forget that you have actually never written about
it.
Today, I searched my site in the vain attempt to find
my review of GIRL ON THE BRIDGE. As it turns
out, I have never reviewed it... though I saw it in
February of this year.
I have been in its spell every moment since.
GIRL ON THE BRIDGE is by far my pick as the best
film I've seen this year. It is French. It is Black and
White. It is unapologetically mystically romantic.
This is one of those films that I tuck in the inside coat
pocket next to my heart... a film I show to the one I
love to say... Like that.... this is how I love you.
I have not seen the film since February. I would kill
for the DVD or for the film to appear in my local
area. But right now, it plays only in New York and
Los Angeles.
What is this film? What makes it so good?
GIRL ON THE BRIDGE is a story about two
unremarkable discarded beings. Two people that
apart are not what they are when they are together. It
is the story of transcendent magical love. And it
happens to have the best musical score I've heard this
year. AGAIN... PURE LOVE.
Shot in Black and White in that way that... well, it's a
lurid sensual shot through gauze sort of Black and
white. The film has a stark sense of fate and chance.
The two people could miss one another on any other
day, but here... on this day... desperation called them
together. Now these two pieces, these half-beings,
now they are one.
And when together, the world bends to them. The
fates are with them. Every second and moment is a
triumph.
You see... this is a story of a knife-thrower and his
target. There is no nudity, no sex scene... but the
eroticism is soooo incredibly poignant that you will
become uncomfortably delighted in your seat.
You remember that moment in AGE OF
INNOCENCE where in the carriage....
DISTRACTION...
The phone rings, it is her. You know folks.
Romance loves difficulties. It really really does.
Sleeping Beauty needed to be separated by giant
thorns and a fierce dragon. The Beast needed to be
cursed and dying. Snow White needed to be sleeping
an eternal sleep. Ilsa had to leave Rick... But dammit
the difficulties are so damn... complicated. I have a
new romance thing going on here in my life and it's
just difficult and impossible, but ya know what... if it
is meant to work, then impossible and difficult are
just words that I'm meant to brush over with liquid
paper. Sigh. But damn if you don't get that excited
breathy giddiness.... damn if your cheeks don't rush
full of blood and the heart beats a bit faster. But the
call was short, a brief catch up for the course of the
day. One of those.... oh, there you are... yup, you're
distracted too? Yup, me too? God this is
impossible... Yeah but we're doing it all the same,
right? Yup... Sigh. Sorry sorry... I know, you are
currently gagging and going... MOVE ON... MOVE
ON....
End of Distraction (and if you believe that I'll sell
you some bridge on the east coast)
AGE OF INNOCENCE... yes, well, remember that
scene in the carriage where Daniel Day Lewis moves
the glove just an inch and touches her exposed wrist
with his own bare hand... Remember how utterly
romantic and beautiful and real that was? Well...
GIRL ON THE BRIDGE, it's about that feeling...
always. About love and sex and sensual things, all
with clothes on and apart by 15 to 20 feet.
You remember how perfect and real the relationship
between Natalie Portman's character and LEON was
in THE PROFESSIONAL? How there was never
sex, but the perfect match of tragic souls was
complete?
That is here.
This movie is bottled erotic thrills and passion. The
movie is love and Vanessa Paradis and Daniel
Auteuil... they are as perfect as Rick and Ilsa.... as
perfect as L.B. Jeffries and Lisa Fremont.... as
perfect as any couple has ever been perfect with one
another.
The film has a sad air about it... as if at any moment
they will be torn apart by rage, chance, death,
bitterness, misguided passions and the like. This is
love. For every moment that you nose takes in her
Fragrance, you spend the majority of your day
wondering if you will have that... tonight. Will there
be a car crash, a mad bomber... does she have brain
cancer, do you?
This film is a bottled fear factory of love and the
hurdles we leap. The scary thing about real love, is
sometimes... real love is too intense to last forever.
Sometimes it is on quick burn... the feeling lasts
forever, but we don't.
I cannot recommend this film higher. There are no
words I can say that express my true feelings. If you
saw me in person, and asked me about this film... you
would see a passion in me explode into a wild
semi-crazed state of flailing arms and insane
gesticulation.
Pursue this film as though your life depended upon it.
If... if you are a romantic. If you love... find this film.
You will not ever for a second regret it. It is a perfect
thing.