"Western" has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with cowboys or Indians, but everything to do with the laissez-faire attitude frequently found in French filmmaking and, often, in day-to-day French life. Love, relationships, luggage, chainsaw accidents: None of them really matter all that much in the eyes of writer-director Manuel Poirier, and certainly none of them merit serious study. Like the heroes of his shaggy, leisurely comedy, Poirier is content to take the trials of life lightly and, whenever possible, to simply walk away from them altogether. "Western" earned a special Jury Prize at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival, although that's not to say that this is a movie for everyone; viewers who insist on sturdy plots, admirable characters and lots of action will undoubtedly be bored senseless by Poirier's trek through Brittany -- the title refers to the western region of France. This is a picture for those who are willing to simply kick back and enjoy the ride, regardless of where it takes them. Poirier is part of the new breed of French moviemakers who've chosen to leave Paris behind and tell stories about the people who populate the countryside and the coastal towns, and thus "Western" comes off as a loving tribute to pastoral rural France where the natives seem much more accomodating and good-natured than their city cousins. Taking advantage of this regional brand of hospitality is Paco (Sergi Lopez), a shoe salesman of Spanish descent who, through an odd series of circumstances, embarks on a tour of Brittany with Russian-born Nino (Sacha Bourdo), a hitchhiker/car thief who greatly envies the suave Paco's skill with the ladies. Part of the reason Paco his hit the road is to kill time while waiting for his girlfriend Marinette (Elisabeth Vitali) to decide whether or not they should move in together. She's an antiques dealer Paco met shortly after his car was stolen -- by Nino -- and, in her attempts to help him out afterward, the two fell madly in love. Afraid of moving too fast, Marinette decrees they need to spend three weeks apart and after this trial separation they can figure out what course of action to take. So Paco, now unemployed because of the lost car, decides to savor his freedom, taking Nino along for company. With no real itinerary or goal, the two spend their days scheming to meet women and their nights trying to sleep with whomever they've met. Though Paco is easily the more attractive of the pair, it's Nino who winds up finding the most intriguing lover, a mother of eight named Nathalie (Marie Matheron), who wants her house to be full of children, not men. Each of her kids is the result of a one-night-stand with a stranger who happened to be passing through town, and given the variety of races represented around her dining room table, Nathalie could be the Gallic answer to Mia Farrow. Fans of French film will spot Poirier's incorporation of such New Wave staples as jump-cuts and lingering long shots throughout "Western." These techniques work nicely with the film's off-the-cuff feeling. "Western" is so free-form it would not be surprising to discover the whole thing was simply improvised and that Poirier and company made the story up as they went along. James Sanford
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