FNC 2008 - A Review of LA FRONTIÈRE DE L'AUBE

Philippe Garrel is one of those filmmakers known in North America only by avid cinephiles and scholars. Even known he has a recognition as an important author in Europe, his work is not easily available on video on these shores, the exception being Les amants réguliers (The Regular Lovers), an exploration of the events of May 68 produced in 2006 and featuring his son Louis, an actor who's now a star in France with an impressive filmography of his own (The Dreamers, Les chansons d'amour, Ma mère).

Father and son reunite again for La frontière de l'aube (The Dawn Shore), a beautiful and quiet contemplative film exploring the beauty of love, the destruction of the break-up, mental illness and suicide, themes the director explored many times in his past work.

François (Louis Garrel) is a photographer whose work leads him to Carole (Laura Smet), a beautiful actress married to a producer. With her husband in Hollywood, the lonely woman starts an affair with François, a forbidden relationship that quickly morphes into an intense love. Their passion becomes slowly unbearable for the photographer, Carole being a very demanding person who's always on the verge of losing her mind. When François finally puts an end to the relationship, the tormented actress cannot bear the pain and commits suicide. A year later, François is about to marry Eve, a lovely girl who's carrying his child. Unsure of being able to carry his future responsabilities, he spends most of his time wandering in his thoughts and memories. Then one day, the ghost of Carole appears to him in a mirror...

La frontière de l’aube’s storyline is simple with very little action. Everything that makes this tale evolving seem to be floating and forced, as if Garrel had to use them in order to transpose the characters torments on the screen. What matters to the filmmaker are those moments where love is consumed, those conversations between a couple where little is said but everything is felt. Garrel has a tremendous talent for capturing those instants with the precision of a photograph.

Louis Garrel and Laura Smet both give a impeccable performance. They do something quite unique and difficult where they make us feel their emotions throught their eyes. The scene where François tells Carole is seeing someone else is a triumph in interiority. The way Smet reacts is quiet and silent, but the look she has shows us the downfall inside of her. Perfection, nothing else.

The spectacular black and white photography is a work of art by itself. The bodies shine on the screen like diamond and the constant fight between dark and light tones becomes a metaphor of the relationship between the protagonists.

This movie carries a strenght that will haunt you like a ghost. Philippe Garrel once again proves he’s one of cinema’s greatest poets with a jewel only he could generate with such wisdom