April Snow : some reviews from French spectators !
Hello my Bae sistersToday I would like to share with you some reviews of April Snow written by French spectators on one of the most important French movie portal. Mishio has asked me once about this special website so now I will try to explain to all of you. The singularity of this website is that it collects all kinds of informations for every movie released in France. It also collects media reviews then makes an average to set up a ranking for each week. Movie-goers can write their reviews and attribute themselves a note for the movie but what they write must be checked by the moderators before posting. You can write why you like or don’t like a movie but not with rude words.
It’s why I consider it as a reference for cinema because people who left their comments or reviews generally explain their reason and have good manner, not just slander a movie because they don’t like an actor or for their pleasure to slander.
I’m glad that most of them appreciate the movie. April Snow was ranked at first position by spectators reviews among all the movies released the same day and today, at the beginning of the 3rd week, still maintains among the three first position of all the movies still shown in French movie theatre.
For me, it’s exceptional and I even didn’t expect it, especially for a small movie without lots of advertisement, with unknown director and actors (for French people) and face to big blockbusters.
I hope you enjoy reading some of these reviews (4 stars) as me, btw 4 stars are the maxi note and actually AS gets 15 four stars, 4 tree stars, 1 two stars and 1 one star.
From http://www.allocine.fr/film/critiquepublic_gen_cfilm=108687.html
Translated from french to english by camille
CharlieBrown - le 23/04/2006
What a remarkable film! And what a cinema’s lesson !... With an incredible economy of dialogues, the director gives us, by the only force of the image and its timing, its slow rhythm that he imposes, all the emotions and the feelings which we can wait from such a subject and this, without never falling into melodrama or low-level romanticism... A prowess! The two leading actors (splendid in every way of term...) contribute very much for this.... From a wry subject, we have a love story so beautiful which we haven’t seen for a while ! All are in the suggestion, the lightness, the fluidity... The two actors never say a superfluous word, never make a superfluous gesture... They don’t play the characters, they are the characters ! Definitely, the Korean cinema is really what has been made as the most interesting for a few years... (except the Japanese masterpiece presented last year, "The taste of tea"...). The melancholic and tasteful piano which comes to punctuate all this offers a breathing and an additional and welcome tone to the whole movie. In short, a film which gives us the desire to love !... to love the love, to love the life, to love the cinema !
al111 - le 23/04/2006
We have already seen the starting point of this scenario a lot of times : an adulterous couple has a car accident, the two lovers are in the coma, their respective spouses meet at the hospital, avoid, brush against each other, light up each other... This Korean film is not made in the sublimated poetic way, like "In the mood for love". It just tells the story, modestly, by small touches but always clearly, and without any affected manner, any lyricism, it manages to give emotion to us, while being closed to the characters. The beauty is not in the decorations, the costumes or the movements of the camera, it is from the staging and the way the actors suggest : a great humanity, universal feelings, a progressive but deep identification. The faces of the two actors, at the beginning austere and ordinary, end up becoming extraordinarily beautiful. A great movie, tender and soft, with the passion certainly hold but vibrating like snows in April...
bobmorane75 - le 21/04/2006
Superb film, all in tenderness, decency and reserve. The staging is neat, the slowness happy, the actors are perfect. All in the movie breathe a moving poetry.
ol75 - le 19/04/2006
APRIL SNOW is a jewel of writing, where nothing is said but suggested with an address which exceeds all what is made in Western cinema - didactic to die for –To the detractors who will advance that this film is slow, I would answer that slowness is a thousand times justified and that is precisely the ingredient which gives an outstanding way to the story and an accuracy to the feelings. Hat off Mr Jin-Ho Hur ! Hat off Asian cinema !
Signed : a cinema lover (of good cinema !)
mimac - le 17/04/2006
Definitely, the Korean cinema doesn’t cease to surprise me. This film all in delicacy, involves us in a dramatic and romantic story. All this can appear as a melodrama, but it’s so well controlled, that we fall for it with great pleasure.
philbleu - le 16/04/2006
Beautiful... it is a beautiful movie. The meeting of a man and a woman that all could oppose. Only the imposture of two dear persons will lead them to discover each other, to love. It’s this way that the movie is shot and played (very well shot /played), with delicacy, reserve and sobriety. The feelings are there in all their reality (neither more, nor less). We walk out of the movie theater, with a feeling of wellbeing, happy. Better than Locataire (camille : it’s a Korean movie of Kim Ki Duk). A must see movie.
offset891 - le 16/04/2006
Splendid. A touching movie, without soppy speech, nor large clichés. Just refine gazes and dialogues. We are captivated ! We must bow to the actors performance : really outstanding.
To be continued ...
posted by Toujours_BYJ @ 4/26/2006 08:04:00 PM
10 Comments:
Thanks camille. Reading all their comments made my day.
Thank you again, camille!
Yes, like marissa, it makes me very happy to hear that so many like this movie.
Was "Untold Scandal" screened in France? Actually, I can't decide which film I like more. The two are different, but both are exquisite - I always thought the French audience would find it interesting.
Hi Marissa, Flowerbossa, thanks for dropping by. Like you, I'm very happy to see french movie-goers appreciate AS.
Untold Scandal was only shown as closing movie at Deauville festival 2004 but never screened here.
nice work here...! thanks for keeping us informed about how the general audience feel about AS...
can't wait for the rest... but please... do take your time...
p.s. hope you'll post these reviews on KOB & quilt when you're done... am sure the rest of bae-world wants to know :)
Camille thanks again!
AS scored a big victory in France and I'm so happy with Dir Hur, BYJ and SYJ. And am still hoping that AS will still continue to get good reviews in other countries where it will be shown.
will be waiting for the continuation of your post.^^
Hi bb, Frances and Liezle, thanks for all your encouragement and nice words.
AS is a beautiful movie and I knew that French people will understand and like it.
I will try to find time to translate others reviews to share with you, actually I'm quite busy and as I have some problems with my back, I can't stay long time in a sitting position (I suffer enough with 8 hours at the office). I think I have to see my doctor soon.
Frances, thank you for posting my translation to share in Soompi.
Camille, PLEASE take it easy on the translations. Your back problem is much more critical.
Seems a lot bloggers have this
problem - they complain on JOB, too!
My mom gets a shoulder ache after drawing HIM, and swears to rest for awhile, but ends up drawing again...
I wish I could show you some easy
yoga poses for your back. I have a great easy going teacher who helps us with a lot of problems.
(Not the power yoga stuff that is popular these days.)
Oh yes, I have class today!
Take care!
Thank you dear Flowerbossa, I'm very touched. I often have problems with my back, and even before I know YJ. Just need to see an osteopath and it will be OK.
Maybe someday if my dream comes true and I will visit Korea and Japan, you can show me some yoga poses then.
hi camille!
long time, yeah?
hope by the time you read this, you've seen the back specialist already. Get well soon!
Re AS: I'm impressed by the deep remarks and perceptions of the so-called ordinary viewers. Looks like it takes a sophisticated country to appreciate a sophisticated movie. Thanks!
Hi mishio
thanks for your concern, my back's still hurt but less than the last days, I will see my doctor today.
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