Pros: French magic and a pleasing soundtrack
Cons: Confusing with an anti-climax
Café de Flore is not for everyone. It portrays the stories of two different decades in parallel, expressing the heartbreak and obsession that takes place therein.
We first see Antoine (Kevin Parent), a DJ and a recent divorcee with two daughters in present-day Montreal. His new relationship with Rose has burdened him with ex-wife-rooted guilt and a misbehaving teenager who both resent his moving on.
Next we see Jacqueline (Vanessa Paradis), a struggling single mother in 1969 Paris. Her devotion and unhealthy obsession to her seven-year-old son Laurent, born with Down’s syndrome, is tested when he develops a trouble-causing and obsessive friendship with a girl from his class.
Director Jean-Marc Vallée chips and chops through different decades, entertainingly portraying the assorted characters’ heartbreaks and struggles and Parent, in his first acting role, puts on a stirring performance.
However, the first half is very confusing to the viewer who wouldn’t be judged for struggling to understand who’s who and what’s what. We constantly wonder how the two stories connect: our first wonders being provoked when we learn of Laurent and Antoine’s mutual penchants for a piece of music called Café de Flore. But when we’re eventually rewarded the twist, it doesn’t tug as hard as we want it to.
Overall, it’s an enjoyable watch and is cushioned next to a pleasing soundtrack of Pink Floyd and Sigur Rós, but there’s a lacking and when the curtain closes, a sense of disappointment surfaces. Café de Flore is not as good as it want to be.
Released: 11th May 2012 (UK)
By Jennifer Tate
Twitter @JennieTate
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