VA SAVOIR A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2001 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): *
Jacques Rivette's VA SAVOIR, which translates to WHO KNOWS?, would more aptly be titled WHO CARES? The minimal story concerns three couples who are barely in love and who are mildly interested in others. None of the characters are the least bit compelling.
All of the actors (Jeanne Balibar, Sergio Castellitto, Marianne Basler, Jacques Bonnaffé, Hélène de Fougerolles and Bruno Todeschini) sleepwalk through their parts, and the director takes forever -- over two and one half hours -- to say almost nothing. Besides the flimsy romantic angle, the story also concerns the search for an unpublished eighteenth century play. Finally, there is a play within the movie that is -- one assumes -- supposed to be almost laughably bad. The irony is that the movie itself isn't much better.
"It can't go on like this," Camille (Jeanne Balibar) remarks about a half hour into the movie. Sadly, it does. This much can be said in the movie's defense. At least its extremely bland trailer accurately represents the movie itself. You can't say that about many films.
VA SAVOIR runs 2:34. The film is in French and Italian with English subtitles. It is rated PG-13 for "brief nudity" and would be acceptable for kids around 11 and up.
The film opens nationwide in the United States on Friday, October 12, 2001. In the Silicon Valley, it will be showing at the Camera Cinemas.
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