White as Snow (8/10)
by Tony Medley
112 minutes.
R
We’ll sing in the sunshine
We’ll laugh every day
We’ll sing in the sunshine
Then I’ll be on my way
Gale Garnett 1964
If you were around in 1964, this
is one of the songs you were singing. And the girl you envisioned as you
sang this song was probably Claire (Lou de
Laâge), who stars in this film as the innocent, protected
stepdaughter of Maud (Isabell Huppert).
It is difficult to write about
this movie without giving away spoilers. And I don't like to do that. I
saw this movie from the outset without having any idea what it was
about, and it is much more enjoyable that way. Because it is a highly
entertaining movie, I will refrain from commenting on its content.
Directed and written (with
Pascal Bonitzer) by Anne Fontaine, it is a fairy tale loosely (very)
based on the Grimm Brothers’ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
It is also a thriller with
pervasive evil that is present every moment of the film. The acting is
exceptional. de Laâge is reminiscent of
Brigette Bardot in her prime, although in this film she looks a lot
younger than her 29 years. She is captivating, scintillating, hot, and
sexy as she seduces one man after another reaching the eponymic number
as she finds her sexual freedom and revels in it.
Huppert gives another of her masterful performances as Claire’s evil
stepmother. The way the cinematography (Yves Angelo) captures the
beautiful French countryside contributes immensely to the quality of the
film. This movie moved along seamlessly. Enough said. In French.
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