Comedie De I'innocence (Comedy of Innocence) [DVD] (2000)

Another masterpiece by Chilean director Raoul Ruiz, who also worked jointly on the screenplay. But one would expect nothing less from someone of his long-standing experience in the film business. Being set in Paris, I had expected to see traditional Parisian scenes a la Amelie. If this is what you’re after, you’ll be disappointed, as most of the action takes place in an elegant Parisian town house, a park and on a Barge (although you do glimpse the river Seine in these scenes). However, that does not detract from the cinematography which draws one, seemingly effortlessly, into the eeriness of the situation. The storyline is bizarre but somehow instantly believable. Nils Hugon plays a convincing Camille, a nine-year-old boy who announces to his mother on his birthday that he is in fact someone else’s son. His mother Ariane, brilliantly portrayed by Isabelle Huppert, goes along with this, believing that this out of character behaviour is some means of childhood rebellion, and to humour her son would be the best course of action. She agrees to accompany him to an address in an area of Paris she believes to be unknown to them both, only to be confronted on their arrival, with a mother and child reunion which sends her into instant panic. And so the story unfolds; Jeanne Balibar gives an outstanding performance as Isabellla, a single girl who two years previously had lost her own son in a tragic boating accident, and who now believes he has returned to her.
The cinematography makes clever use of the young boy’s obsession with his video camera, which eventually becomes a key factor in the outcome. But not before the characters of the leading ladies are exploited to their full potential. In a story reminiscent of the judgement of Solomon, both mothers fight to keep their son, pushed to the boundaries of sanity, and sometimes crossing over. And what do you know, the father is away on a business trip – where are they when you need them? This is one for a dreary Sunday afternoon. Shut out the world, put your feet up, unplug the phone, and you’ll soon be drawn into an uneasy fascination, somewhere between fantasy and reality. I guarantee the popcorn will remain untouched.

Nils Hugon is Camille, a young boy who's fascinated with video, and loves to film anything he sees. He's also a bit of a fantasist, and really doesn't have much of a childhood, with quite strict parents who won't let him play with toys, so he plays with his video camera instead.

Arianne (Isabelle Huppert) is his mother, she's a nervous woman who suffers from asthma and is a bit of a dreamer, she loves designing for the theatre. Laurence, the father works in psychology and takes care of people in the home, and there's Serge, Arianne's brother who's a bit strange to say the least.

They come to meet Isabella (Jeanne Balibar, who looks a bit like Jennifer Tilly?) who claims she's Camille's mother, but with her having strange turns, is she creditable?

Comédie de l'innocence is a bizarre movie which sort of tries to be thrilling, but for me it just didn't get deep enough - yes, it was strange that Isabella was getting involved in the family, but she didn't seem much of a threat to the family, which surprised me, but I found very clever by writer Massimo Bontempelli, as Hollywood would love us to believe that most abductors and kidnappers are dangerous people waving a revolver around at the parents, but this was much more lighter, more reserved - and probably more real - I can see the truth of the matter, it must happen quite often in society, making it a bit more believable than films like Rush Hour where they kidnap the child for monetary reasons.

Isabelle Huppert is magnificent in this and really shines - though I thought little Nils Hugon was just as good, and I think he's got a future in French cinema.

The extras are not good, you get a trailer and interviews, but nothing else. At least Artificial Eye have done a decent enough transfer, with the sound and video pretty much as you'd expect, I would have expected this to be a DVD9, but sadly it's just a 5, the extra bandwidth would have made this better, and clearer indoors, and in dark scenes.

Worth a look if you're into your independent movies - I don't think people who just want action will enjoy this one bit.

Although I shouldn't like this mystery thriller with ghostly subscript because it's implausible, the characters don't react like real human beings,they all behave like people locked in their own fantasies,they have no normal emotions.The film if shot in England would be ridiculous and collapse like a pack of cards.I did like it.Raoul Ruiz is suitably enigmatic in his interview,giving very little away.He suggests that Camille's behaviour is inexplicable,he mentions the cruelty of innocence,seing him as a `child king',representing the childhood of Don Juan(???).I had seen and liked his film `Time Regained' on Proust.So I gave it a try.The father is mostly absent.

All the characters are purely mental beings.Based on `The Boy with Two Mothers' by Massimo Bontempelli,a surrealist friend of de Chirico. The house of Ariane (Huppert)and partner is a character in this complex,subtle drama.The parent's and grand-parents'possessions and belongings,family heirlooms are in the basement.There are suggestions of incest in the past,strange relationships in the present.Arianne herself is a designer and artist whose pictures are on the walls and her sculptures round about.Although she is a loving mother,she appears a bit detached at times.Her son is often looked after by a nanny,Helene,who takes him out.The nanny herself is odd, capricious,is having an affair with Serge(Bering) Ariane's brother,handing Camille over to a substitute minder,while she pursues it.Serge is a psychiatrist,who lives there on an upper floor.

Having said that Camille,decides on his 9th birthday,he wants to go to his `real mum'shome',calling his mother `Ariane'.She is taken aback, but plays along with him.Goes to an apartment on the far side of Paris to meet Isabella(Jeanne Balibar),whose own son Paul ,born the same time as Camille,drowned 2 years ago.Arianne panics helplessly,when Camille answering as `Paul',treats Isabella as his mother.There is great tension between the two competing mothers.But Arianne,beaten,invites Isabella to live with her,having been like Camille,bewitched.A picture of the Song of Solomon is placed centrally to point out the dilemma of Ariane.Camille whiles his time with a digital video camera,to film his surroundings.He makes film montage where he extracts from the narrative of events,his own private symbolism.Arianne,is outwardly stoical,inwardly neurotically tired.You feel like telling her to get a grip and discipline Camille,who seems to manipulate everyone too freely.Isabella is infuriatingly charming,smiles gnomically,seems to have a strange hold on Camille.Provides something missing.

Camille whispers to a friend,Alex,who seems to follow him in the wings everywhere.Serge gets Isabella into an asylum where he works, having failed to get answers from Camille.She's obviously disturbed.Camille and Isabella go missing simultaneously.Alex hands Camille's video cassettes over to Ariane.She learns what really happened to make Camille adopt Isabella as his mother.The video images like Ariadne's thread lead Ariane to the barge with Serge,to find a relieved Camille,grown weary like a child of this game.The film hints at the dysfunctionality of all families and the illegitimacy of parent-child relationships.Ariane flirts with Camille as he films her,at other times crying,suggesting a lover's relationship.This film will appeal to those who liked The Innocents or The Sixth Sense.Are the adults the real children with their own toys?Deceptive surfaces,thrilling depths,an air of mystery.Film for Ruiz,an impassive filter for emotions,tells the essential truth.