RENOIR - A Film Review

I'm reminded of a story I heard about a young kid, who's taken by his dad to a barbecue-stand, run by a famous lady cook on a ghetto street. There, the father proudly hands his son a plate of this barbecue with its well-known sauce, and says to his son: "Well, son, what do you think?" The boy tastes it all and makes a face, and says to his dad: "I don't really like it." Well, the cook is within earshot and turns to that small boy, and growls, "EVER-BODY JUST ADORES MY BARBECUE-'CEPT JUST ONE PAIR-SON AND THAT PAIR-SON IS YOU!!!" (And that's what the head folks of this Renoir film might say if they hear just how I review it.)

The fact is: it is not a great film. Renoir, himself, was a great painter and a courageous man-- as he battled with arthritis in his final years-still deftly painting French nudes and scenery with unflagging wonder. And in the film he does epitomize the man who sees beauty and loves beauty-- even while his sons are in that brutal World War One, which was nothing but ugly. But the film cannot rise to the heights of its great subject. I had the feeling the film guys thought as long as Renoir's featured, that was enough.

I happen to think that no matter how great the subject might be: the script, actors and sequence-interplays among the actors have got to be right. Just because we're living with the Renoirs, automatically can't guarantee our involvement and appreciation of what he was about. Regardless of who the guy is, the film has to be such that it stands on its own.

I've noticed an odd thing in life: It is not the success which a man achieves that makes a great tale, but his struggles to attain that success-- that moves people a lot. We don't see that much in this film. It's a beautiful film, and there are a few scenes which really touched me quite deeply. But most of them had me flipping from "yes" to "no" and then back to "yes" for a bit.

But as was said before in the barbecue tale: "Ever-one loves my barbecue... " Yet, for my taste, I'm drawn to give it a mere FIVE. But you might say, just like that cook: EVER-BODY JUST ADORES MY BARBECUE... 'CEPT JUST ONE PAIR-SON, AND THAT PAIR-SON IS YOU!"

Humbler Acts, Creator, "THE WIZARD'S OUTRAGEOUS SCHEME FOR STOPPING SMOKING", reviews one film every week as a relaxation from his speaking and writing on stopping smoking: through dream use and Seven Forces. He's American and English educated, residing in St. Louis, MO. He can be reached: humbleracts@aol.com
or telephone: 314-574-7681. His FREE REPORT and stop smoking program may be obtained from here: http://www.stopsmokingwiz.com/salespage/

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