I can't say I'm familiar with Sébastien Japrisot's novel, and the 1970 film is hard to come by, so I sat to watch this with no real foreknowledge or expectations. I think that puts me in a good position to assess the picture as objectively as one could. I'll say this, one way or another it does a good job of keeping one interested. As an unremarkable first act transitions into a second wherein the story and mystery strongly swirls, one can make fair conjectures about what's going on, though by all means the wide open possibilities and uncertainty keep one invested. Along the way many aspects are decidedly slick and enticing, to the point that I'm unsure if the music (score and soundtrack alike), cinematography, lighting, direction, and editing are appropriately rich and flavorful, or embellished and ill-fitting. The overall effect is to toe the line between notably heavy-handed and duly balanced, a tightrope act that one might even suppose is intentional in keeping with the broad tenor of the feature. I tend to believe it would have benefited from more of a purely delicate hand, though regardless it's to the credit of 'The lady in the car with glasses and a gun' that it fosters such robust viewer engagement.
One never knows entirely what they'll get when various genre labels are appended to a title, but this in this case the film emphatically plays up the mystery as protagonist Dany finds herself in a set of circumstances where everyone but her seems to know something about what's going on. Whatever else is true of this, whatever one may say of Gilles Marchand and Patrick Godeau's screenplay, it's gratifyingly well made. Especially early on I don't know if every single choice made in terms of the picture's craftsmanship was the best one, but I actually do admire the inherent strength in Manuel Dacosse's cinematography, Maryline Monthieux and Christophe Pinel's editing, and Agnes Olier's music. The production design and art direction are solid, and the costume design, hair, and makeup are lovely all around. The cast give adept, admirable performances; of course Freya Mavor stands out most as Dany, but no matter the size of the part, the likes of Stacy Martin, Benjamin Biolay, and Elio Germano all demonstrate capable range and nuance to bring the tale to life. Furthermore, I think Joann Sfar shows fine skill as a director, tying all the varied elements together, and I'd like to check out more of his work if given the chance.
All this is well and good. I like 'The lady in the car with glasses and a gun' more than not. Unfortunately, of all things, it's the last act - the last twenty minutes or so, really - where the trouble shines through. We're treated in a rather short period of time to an explanation of the entire plot from start to finish; if previously the feature walked a fine line between delicate and heavy-handed, here it tips the scales. It's at once smart, and outlandish, butting against the limits of suspension of disbelief; excessive and overabundant, and blunt and forthright. Without specifically knowing I couldn't say if this is an issue with Japrisot's source material or with this screenplay itself. Either way the end result is a mystery thriller where the general vibes, and the big moments of "whoa! What's going on!" and "a-ha! Look at this!" were prioritized over judicious care in storytelling - to the detriment of the whole.
I don't think this is bad; far from it. I do think the weakest facet of the movie, or at least the most questionable, is the writing, and that's a keystone without which the entirety just cannot stand. Maybe there's something I'm missing here, or maybe I'm just not properly attuned to the right wavelength. I'm glad for those who get more out of this than I do, and I do believe it earns a soft recommendation at large, and more if one is a fan of someone involved. No matter how you slice it, though, when all is said and done I don't think this is more than partly believable or satisfying as a viewing experience, and on that basis it's hard to muster significant enthusiasm for 'The lady in the car with glasses and a gun.'
One never knows entirely what they'll get when various genre labels are appended to a title, but this in this case the film emphatically plays up the mystery as protagonist Dany finds herself in a set of circumstances where everyone but her seems to know something about what's going on. Whatever else is true of this, whatever one may say of Gilles Marchand and Patrick Godeau's screenplay, it's gratifyingly well made. Especially early on I don't know if every single choice made in terms of the picture's craftsmanship was the best one, but I actually do admire the inherent strength in Manuel Dacosse's cinematography, Maryline Monthieux and Christophe Pinel's editing, and Agnes Olier's music. The production design and art direction are solid, and the costume design, hair, and makeup are lovely all around. The cast give adept, admirable performances; of course Freya Mavor stands out most as Dany, but no matter the size of the part, the likes of Stacy Martin, Benjamin Biolay, and Elio Germano all demonstrate capable range and nuance to bring the tale to life. Furthermore, I think Joann Sfar shows fine skill as a director, tying all the varied elements together, and I'd like to check out more of his work if given the chance.
All this is well and good. I like 'The lady in the car with glasses and a gun' more than not. Unfortunately, of all things, it's the last act - the last twenty minutes or so, really - where the trouble shines through. We're treated in a rather short period of time to an explanation of the entire plot from start to finish; if previously the feature walked a fine line between delicate and heavy-handed, here it tips the scales. It's at once smart, and outlandish, butting against the limits of suspension of disbelief; excessive and overabundant, and blunt and forthright. Without specifically knowing I couldn't say if this is an issue with Japrisot's source material or with this screenplay itself. Either way the end result is a mystery thriller where the general vibes, and the big moments of "whoa! What's going on!" and "a-ha! Look at this!" were prioritized over judicious care in storytelling - to the detriment of the whole.
I don't think this is bad; far from it. I do think the weakest facet of the movie, or at least the most questionable, is the writing, and that's a keystone without which the entirety just cannot stand. Maybe there's something I'm missing here, or maybe I'm just not properly attuned to the right wavelength. I'm glad for those who get more out of this than I do, and I do believe it earns a soft recommendation at large, and more if one is a fan of someone involved. No matter how you slice it, though, when all is said and done I don't think this is more than partly believable or satisfying as a viewing experience, and on that basis it's hard to muster significant enthusiasm for 'The lady in the car with glasses and a gun.'