I enjoyed the first 3/4 or so of "Dot the i" - the parts of the film that explored the characters. However, the last 1/4 or so of the film was a bit of a letdown for me. It was also no help that I had read far too much about the film on these pages. For once, it would have been better to have gone into the theater with absolutely no preconceived notions about what to look for. Oh, well, I guess we can't have it both ways, can we?
Much has been written about the wonderful acting of Gael Garcia Bernal, but I found his co-star Natalia Verbeke to play the more interesting character. This is where the film "Betty Blue" comes in. In fact, at one point in the film someone actually mentions Betty Blue. (If you haven't seen Betty Blue - its English name; or "37.3 le Matin" in French - you're in for an extraordinary emotional ride when you do.)
Ms. Verbeke's character on the screen is so intense, so beautiful, so emotional that it's difficult to know whether the viewer should yield and get closer to her or warily keep one's emotional distance. I think this is the hallmark of a great film - challenging the viewer to throw one's lot in with the characters or to stay apart. Unfortunately, it seems the director was just not able to maintain this intensity and finally yielded to a more conventional approach - though I'm sure many would disagree with my use of the word conventional.
The cinematography and set design in the film are both excellent. What's odd, though, is that the interiors strike me as more French, or at least European, than British. Maybe it's the Betty Blue effect again; and at least one scene struck me as having come straight out of Herman Hesse. Or am I just be making this up?
So, do go see "Dot the i" (and "Betty Blue", too) and derive pleasure from whichever portions of the film touch you. "Dot the i" is most assuredly no masterpiece, but it is most certainly moving in the right direction.
Much has been written about the wonderful acting of Gael Garcia Bernal, but I found his co-star Natalia Verbeke to play the more interesting character. This is where the film "Betty Blue" comes in. In fact, at one point in the film someone actually mentions Betty Blue. (If you haven't seen Betty Blue - its English name; or "37.3 le Matin" in French - you're in for an extraordinary emotional ride when you do.)
Ms. Verbeke's character on the screen is so intense, so beautiful, so emotional that it's difficult to know whether the viewer should yield and get closer to her or warily keep one's emotional distance. I think this is the hallmark of a great film - challenging the viewer to throw one's lot in with the characters or to stay apart. Unfortunately, it seems the director was just not able to maintain this intensity and finally yielded to a more conventional approach - though I'm sure many would disagree with my use of the word conventional.
The cinematography and set design in the film are both excellent. What's odd, though, is that the interiors strike me as more French, or at least European, than British. Maybe it's the Betty Blue effect again; and at least one scene struck me as having come straight out of Herman Hesse. Or am I just be making this up?
So, do go see "Dot the i" (and "Betty Blue", too) and derive pleasure from whichever portions of the film touch you. "Dot the i" is most assuredly no masterpiece, but it is most certainly moving in the right direction.