orangeparser
Member
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2011
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Italian
- Home Country
- Italy
- Current Location
- Italy
Reines d'un jour (2001), directed by Marion Vernoux
Not a hell of a movie
If “Reines d’un jour” (literally “Queens for a Day”, also known as “A Hell of a Day”) were a good film, it might perhaps be renamed to “French Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”. It tells a day in the life of four ordinary people living in Paris, whose stories run parallel and casually meet and interact. In particular, it is about women obsessed by their complicated relationships with men, and who have a hard time finding love, happiness, or at least safe sex without unplanned consequences, either in marriage or in adultery!
Unfortunately, “Reines d’un jour” is not a good film. Do not believe the favorable reviews. It is a boring, clueless, bad film. It annoys viewers with poorly written dialogs, uninteresting characters, and unfunny attempts to irony.
To be fair, there are a few (not many) almost enjoyable moments, and some of the subplots would have a potential to make a good story, perhaps, in other hands. However, even the catchy ideas are not developed properly, and the film never takes off. In the end, there is only disappointment left. It could have been fun, but it was not.
Some of the actors, such as Karin Viard, who plays Hortense, are not inexperienced. I guess they might be good in other movies. Too bad their performance is rather wasted in this inconclusive French production.
As for the “magic” of Paris, with its usually beautiful scenery of the Seine River and so on, in this movie there is too little of it even to make a nice Paris “postcard”.
In conclusion, even if you are searching for a silly yet entertaining date-flick about the follies of love in modern times, do not waste your money or your time with this dull movie, because of its absolute lack of wit, humour, or real feelings.
My vote is 3 out of 10, but my girlfriend, who saw the film with me, gave a 2.
Not a hell of a movie
If “Reines d’un jour” (literally “Queens for a Day”, also known as “A Hell of a Day”) were a good film, it might perhaps be renamed to “French Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”. It tells a day in the life of four ordinary people living in Paris, whose stories run parallel and casually meet and interact. In particular, it is about women obsessed by their complicated relationships with men, and who have a hard time finding love, happiness, or at least safe sex without unplanned consequences, either in marriage or in adultery!
Unfortunately, “Reines d’un jour” is not a good film. Do not believe the favorable reviews. It is a boring, clueless, bad film. It annoys viewers with poorly written dialogs, uninteresting characters, and unfunny attempts to irony.
To be fair, there are a few (not many) almost enjoyable moments, and some of the subplots would have a potential to make a good story, perhaps, in other hands. However, even the catchy ideas are not developed properly, and the film never takes off. In the end, there is only disappointment left. It could have been fun, but it was not.
Some of the actors, such as Karin Viard, who plays Hortense, are not inexperienced. I guess they might be good in other movies. Too bad their performance is rather wasted in this inconclusive French production.
As for the “magic” of Paris, with its usually beautiful scenery of the Seine River and so on, in this movie there is too little of it even to make a nice Paris “postcard”.
In conclusion, even if you are searching for a silly yet entertaining date-flick about the follies of love in modern times, do not waste your money or your time with this dull movie, because of its absolute lack of wit, humour, or real feelings.
My vote is 3 out of 10, but my girlfriend, who saw the film with me, gave a 2.