Les Amants réguliers (2005) - Philippe Garrel

There is another short clip from this film on youtube HERE

I'm not going to write much on this film, not much at all - i just felt i had to blog an entry on how, more than a film, Garrel's 180 minute mélange is an endurace test of the highest order. Seriously: people who make it through all three hours of this abysmal work in one sitting deserve some congratulations and - preferably - a medal.

Set in 1968 Paris it's really not clear what this film is actually about, who it's about, what they do, or why. Stuff happens - albeit sporadically - but as we never really get to know any of the characters it becomes impossible to care about any of the events occuring onscreen. I'm sure there are thick layers or visual metaphor and symbolism, and undoubtedly the film is filled with references to the nouvelle vague (even if the film's style itself seemed closer to Italian neo-realism) plus messages on the nature of artists and politics but for me it remains the embodiment of the arty, pretentious crap that puts so many people off foreig cinema.

There are many many better ways to spend three hours than watch the awful Regular Lovers.

My advice: watch Prima Della Rivoluzione or The Dreamers instead.