Vashirdfel Simply A Masterpiece

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Galina "Décalage horaire" (2002) aka "Jet Lag" was the third film written/directed by Daniele Thompson that I've seen. It may not be as marvelous as La Bûche (1999), her directorial debut or charming and delightful as Fauteuils d'orchestre (2006), her latest film but it is definitely worth seeing for the wonderful acting by two fine French actors, Juliette Binoche and Jean Reno who both played against their types. Binoche does not appear often in the comedies and Reno is not well known as a romantic lead but they were pleasure to watch in the light romantic dramedy that takes place in the famous Paris Charles de Gaulle airport one long rainy night when all flights were grounded by weather and a baggage strike. Two strangers meet by chance, when Rose (Binoche) who had accidentally flushed her cell phone in a toilet, asks a perfect stranger, Felix (Reno), to use his phone. They are both professionally successful. He is a chef who made a fortune in the frozen-food business, and she has won a golden brush, the equivalent of Pulitzer Prize for the make-up artists. Their personal lives are the mess. Each has the problems, disappointments, unsatisfying or unfinished relationships by the time of their first encounter. She flees from her abusive boyfriend of 12 years (Sergio Lopes is memorably scary in a tiny cameo). He still can't recover from his previous relationship and suffers from anxiety attacks. Perhaps, 81 minutes is not enough to convince us that these two flawed and insecure individuals will overcome their past and live happily ever after but Binoche and Reno masterfully and elegantly created on the screen the possibility of love and readiness to accept it.

MartinHafer This is a creative film with an interesting premise that unfortunately doesn't exactly make sense in how the whole film is resolved in the end. Jean Reno and Juliette Binoche are travelers who are stuck at the airport during both a strike and bad weather. As the film unfolds, the lives of these two strangers intertwines and you slowly begin to see what a mess they have made of their lives. The contrived aspect of this is that the viewer KNOWS exactly where all this is going and it isn't exactly surprising that these two very different people were destined to fall in love--something that if you think about it made no sense at all since they were so different. After all, she is the child of two ardent Communists and he is a self-involved rich Capitalist! So, no matter how good the dialog and acting are, the film is stuck in the average range. It still is worth seeing but is ultimately too predictable to be a better film.FYI--Like many contemporary French films, this one has some very brief nudity, language and adult themes, so think twice before letting your younger kids see this one. It's probably fine for older teens.

Svengali-2001 A simple film done simply superbly. I like a film that doesn't waste words, doesn't waste pouts and does exactly what it is meant to do without fuss. I like a film that adds a little magic and leaves the spirit happier than before. Not all the time, but it makes a change.It also makes a change from the empty hopeless modern romances that litter the screen trying to be charming, trying to be sincere, and falling flat on their collective scripts...This film has charm, intelligence, humour, pathos and a fine romance.Jean Reno gets better with every year and shows a range that few directors have had the courage to exploit. His only moment of madness was choosing to take part in the Da Vinci Code...he should give his salary to the American Writers Guild in the hope that they may start finding the next Preston Sturges...Juliette Binoche could act underwater and always brings something new to her roles. I would love to be her English Patient...The great actresses and films of the 30s may have long since disappeared, but surely someone can provide fine romantic/comedy scriptwriting...at least before we get to Bridget Jones 12...

Kevin Dennis (ksdennis) French films are characterized by dialog and this film is no exception. The setting is clever - not really a modern adaptation of The VIP's, but on that order (and more down to earth). The situation is funny and, in the cell phone era, one to which we might all relate. (Of course, I assume not many people lose their cell phones à la Juliette Binoche.)A fan of both Binoche and Reno, I find both charming and the chemistry between them very real. Binoche's beautician is also far more interesting, and less stereotypified, than American film portrayals (Fran Drescher, Dolly Parton, Jennifer Coolidge...)Not one of the great French films by any means, but I still give this one 8/10.