One to Another (2006)

The Worst Film Ever

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This is the kind of film that I want to get away from virtually every minute I am watching it but there is so much nudity, frontal, rear, sideways, that I remain glued to my chair anxiously awaiting the next shot of pubic hair. The story, which apparently is based on true events that occurred in France, is an absolute mess. Who can even begin to follow it? There are so many flashbacks, flash forwards and flash everything else that you just sit there enjoying all the nubile flesh in its various contortions which are quite varied and utterly shocking, frankly. I'm such a small town prude. Just can't help it. The lead, a stunning young French girl is never boring to look at but you do want to strangle her she gets on your nerves so much.

Visually, it's a fine movie. It looks great, with an attractive cast, excellent color cinematography, especially the lighting, and well-composed frames.And the story is based on true events, provocative, at that. Four young guys, and one young woman named Lucie, explore life and love, perform in a band, and generally hang out together in modern day France. One of the guys (Pierre) is Lucie's brother. When Pierre goes missing and is presumed dead, Lucie sets about to find out what happened to him.Except for the musical performances, "Chacun sa nuit" is generally a slow, quiet film, with very long camera "takes". Characters spend a lot of time lounging around in the nude, sulking, dawdling, brooding, lost in thought. The script is not overly talky, thankfully. Indeed, the dialogue is measured, deliberate, contemplative.But, the film's structure is difficult, for several reasons. First, the script's inciting incident happens off-screen, which renders some confusion as to what is going on, in the first half. Second, events do not occur chronologically. Instead, flashbacks to the time when Pierre was alive alternate with events after his death. And that compounds the confusion, especially the first time I watched the film. The second viewing did help to clarify the plot.In addition, given that the other three guys (Nicolas, Sebastien, and Baptiste) are all about the same age, the same height, and have similar appearances, I found it hard to keep them straight ... so to speak.I wish the film's script had gone through another rewrite or two. A few changes here and there could have clarified who was who and what was happening. But despite a less than perfect script, "Chacun sa nuit" is a film worth watching, for the beautiful cinematography; for the provocative, underlying concept; and for a story that is based on real-life events.

We've all heard of a "ménage à trois." Pascal Arnold and Jean-Marc Barr's film One to Another/Chacun sa nuit presents a ménage à cinq, an ultra-photogenic one with four boys to one girl, all tanned, pretty, and hot to trot and in the summer in a beautiful southern part of France. At the center of the five is the insecure but magnetic lead singer of the clan's boy band, Pierre (Arthur Dupont) He's the bisexual brother of Lucie (Lizzie Brocheré), with whom he has a relationship just short of out-and-out incest. Nicolas (Guillaume Baché) is also bisexual, so he and Pierre have sex on the sly. Sébastien (Pierre Perrier), the prettiest boy of all, is Lucie's ostensible boyfriend, but she's had sex with the other two. Baptiste (Nicolas Nollet) is boy number four. It's not so good for the story but fine for the vicarious titillation value of the film that the clothes come off right away and there are many bed and swim scenes; and while there isn't much overt sex, there is much casual nude lolling around together among the nearly inseparable five. Pierre also has sex for pay with gay men and orgies with a local politico, and we get glimpses of that, too.In a story based on a real event in provincial France, this inseparable group of young beauties is shattered when Pierre is found dead, riddled with blows. The cops draw a blank and Lucie initiates her own investigation aided by the other boys. When the solution comes, the crime remains incomprehensible, even though who did it had become predictable.Pierre has an intensity you notice, and he sings. Lizzie Brocheré emotes, Guillaume Baché has a way of holding back that's arresting; but despite the film's obsessive concentration on these young people, they seem chosen not for their acting skill but because they're generically perfect looking, with the result that it takes much of the film to gather even a vague sense of what distinguishes one boy from the others.People are understandably enamored of One to Another/Chacun sa nuit for its lovely sensuality. From that point of view, it's a pleasure to look at. But the crime story and the beefcake are at odds with each other, the pretentious philosophizing of the young people is a poor substitute for acting, and the too-randomly inter-cut flashbacks after the death to flesh out the superficial portraits weaken the momentum of the hunt. According the Le Monde's reviewer Jacques Mandelbaum, One to Another "rises to the challenge of achieving a strong confrontation between the filmmakers' hedonistic philosophy and a barbarous act that resists it." Is it our Puritanical Anglo-Saxon culture? Somehow this seems unconvincing. But the images are beautiful. Jean-Marc Barr's second film was called Too Much Flesh. Hmmm…… Opened in Paris September 20, 2006. To be shown at the Rendez-Vous with French Cinema at Lincoln Center March 7 and 10, and at the IFC Center March 8, 2007. US distributor: Netflix/Strand Releasing. Should do well in the DVD sales and rental market.

This film is worthwhile for the soundtrack alone. And just as worthwhile in every other way.Lots of tasteful nudity and sex between uninhibited young friends. Very enjoyable for both young and old to watch. The whole cast is beautiful, like they were born not to wear clothes. Someone complained after the screening that they were too beautiful. I didn't see that as a problem.The criminal mystery and story background is revealed piece by piece out of chronological order in a series of flashbacks. That is difficult to do well, but here it's done skillfully and adds to the story rather than making it difficult to understand.At the premiere at the Toronto Film Festival many people walked out of the screening. That surprised me. Sure there's a lot of nudity, but the film festival audience usually expects that and takes it in stride. The film is very French, and perhaps that could alienate Americans used to seeing only Hollywood films. The people who walked out of the film were mostly men. That surprised me too. Perhaps they were offended by the bisexual elements of the film? For anyone who likes film, especially anyone who likes French cinema, this is a must see.