35 Rhums

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The more I turn things over in my head, the more flaws and imperfections get to the surface. I sat down to write a brief praise of 35 Rhums as a great, possibly overlooked film of 2009 but it's going all Monet on me. I mean are you still allowed to wait patiently and drop the title of your film into the dialogue? Is this just another plodding French film with a barely discernible plot line? The answer is yes.

That's what's great about it. The story is told with broad, controlled, and perhaps elegant strokes. The drone of the train and the monotony of the passing skyline, the angst of politicized youth, and the solace of home and it's routines are just a few images captured. The absences are even more telling, a mother, a budding relationship, and latent Freudian sexuality are all just shy of the lens.

I'm American. I'm usually waiting for a storyline to jump out and bash me in the fucking head. It's nice to just watch and wonder sometimes.