★★☆☆☆
19 July 2017
A movie review of BARRAGE. |
“Why do you think I’ll be leaving again?” Catherine (Lolita Chammah)
Three generations of mothers-daughters starts promisingly, but then pads out too much of the runtime. Ideas begin being hinted at, so anticipation initially grows, especially at Isabelle Huppert’s presence. With the recent lacklustre offering THINGS TO COME, the acting legend is not immune from appearing in duds. BARRAGE joins it. From the potential of exploring the difficulties of parenthood, we instead get a daytime soap opera. Do you enjoy melodramatic confessions? If so, this is for you.
Three generations of mothers-daughters starts promisingly, but then pads out too much of the runtime. Ideas begin being hinted at, so anticipation initially grows, especially at Isabelle Huppert’s presence. With the recent lacklustre offering THINGS TO COME, the acting legend is not immune from appearing in duds. BARRAGE joins it. From the potential of exploring the difficulties of parenthood, we instead get a daytime soap opera. Do you enjoy melodramatic confessions? If so, this is for you.
Opening on a 30-something woman following a young girl. Briefly sinister, the film quickly wastes no time in establishing relationships. We meet the family in an indoor tennis court, an arena for unhappiness. Pushy tennis mum, Elisabeth (Isabelle Huppert), has become a pushy tennis grandmother. This has comedy written all over it, but is not played for laughs. Tennis is clearly a metaphor for child rearing. It is a twee one. Elisabeth humourlessly demands discipline. Fun for the audience does not enter the building.
Was Elisabeth’s mother strict too? Is BARRAGE asking: are we doomed to familial cycles? Many questions are raised, though nothing much of substance comes back from the movie. By the damp squib of a conclusion, you’ll be wondering what the point of the last 112 minutes were.
Catherine (Lolita Chammah) was a young mother, deserting Alba (Themis Pauwels) as a baby. After 10 years, the former returns to Luxembourg from time in Switzerland. Elisabeth has not been giving Alba her mother’s letters. Why is Catherine so interested all of a sudden in asserting her presence? Guilt? Now grown up? Redemption? Nothing better to do? In a moment of madness, she effectively kidnap’s her estranged daughter for a road trip. Clunky mater-daughter bonding ensues.
Catherine is in touch with father, Robert (Charles Müller). Why he and Elisabeth divorced is not touched upon. There is a difference in storytelling quality between the unspoken and the unexplored. Alba says her only fear is the dark. Down to abandonment? Loneliness? Did her mother leave in the night? Again, nothing insightful further develops from the statement.
The film is shot in 4:3 ratio, enhancing the TV quality rather than offering claustrophobia. For more engaging family dramas, check out SHERRYBABY and 3 GENERATIONS.
(On a random side note, Chammah looks like her mother Huppert in HEAVEN’S GATE.)
The climax in the countryside is laughably bad. Some sort of brief life or death drama quickly appears and is resolved. BARRAGE ends with a cover version of Nick Cave’s ‘Into My Arms’ song. Ugh.