Saturday 18 June 2016

Betty Blue, Filmhouse, Edinburgh Film Festival

From the 'Cinema du look' section of this year's programme, a 1986 French classic.  Partly narrated by Zorg, one of the central protagonists, this is a visually stunning love story that descends into tragedy.

Zorg lives a quiet life as a handyman looking after holiday homes on the beach.  Into his life blows the whirlwind that is Betty.  She is beautiful, sexy, funny, imaginative.  She is also unpredictable, moody, driven to extremes of behaviour, hot headed to the point of occasional violence.  When she discovers that her lover is a would be novelist she is determined to get his work published, an obsession that begins to take her over.  And causes embarrassments for Zorg.

There are adventures, friends, good fortune and difficulties.  But an unhappy ending always feels inevitable as Betty is pushed beyond her limits.  Some people are meant to be together and should never be with anyone.

Gloriously colourful with some strongly memorable scenes, this is French style with a twist, and a wonderful performance from Beatrice Dalle as the over-the-top eponymous wild child.

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