1184. La Captive

La Captive
The Captive
2000
Directed by Chantal Akerman

I didn't realize at first that this film was loosely based off of Proust's La Prisonniere, the fifth volume in In Search of Lost Time. Once I got a sense of the film's meandering tone, its source material became more obvious. I like reading Proust, but he's not an author whose works can be adapted into film easily. 

Simon lives with his grandmother and girlfriend. He is extremely abusive and controlling towards his girlfriend, and follows her on a daily basis to see where she is going. He also insists on having sex with her while she feigns sleep, because we weren't convinced he was weird enough already. I don't recall that being in the book. Anyway, Simon decides they can't go on like this and takes his girlfriend to her aunt's house. But the conversation they have en route makes him rethink a few things.

So that was a slog to get through. I felt like most of the movie consisted of two people in a car not speaking. That's an exaggeration of course, but there were a lot of stretches where nothing happened. That's true to the book, but the music of Proust's language gets you through those sections. 

Pretty much a bore that most people will get through their entire lives never hearing about. I envy those people.

RATING: **---

Interesting Facts:

Selected by "Les Cahiers du cinéma" (France) as one of the 10 best pictures of 2000.