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| CLOWNWISE |
I was not planning on writing a full review but i thought the movie warranted it.
"Clownwise" is a little tricky to describe without revealing much of the structure that makes the movie so compelling and so powerful.
Let me try. The film is a story of a famous clown trio whose friendship was abruptly and inexplicably broken by a fight that only they know. The movie begins thirty years after their group disbanded. Their most famous member, Oskar, has decided to return to Prague for a farewell show before he finally retires. He appears on a TV talk show to promote his show but was ambushed by the host with inquiries into what really caused their group's break-up thirty years before.
The cause of their break-up will not be revealed until the final minutes of the movie and before the audience gets there, the movie will introduce us to the two other members of the trio and the starkly different lives they lead in the present. Max is a sixtysomething father of two young kids and husband to a pretty wife three decades his junior.
Viktor meantime is busy making a living as a mime instructor and taking care of his wife Sylvie, who is suffering from dementia. How their lives will be reconnected and how their old conflicts will be resolved are some of the journey that the audience will be taking along with the characters.
One of the biggest reasons why i so loved this movie is what it didn't do in telling us the shared history of the three former friends. There were so many instances in the movie when the director could have easily used the oft-used flashback trick as an exposition devise but surprised me by bravely avoiding it. (The director later explained why he didn't utilize this narrative trick during the Q&A but i will not reveal it here so as not to spoil the movie any further.)
I love to cry in the movies and suffice it to say that i shed many tears while watching this movie. There's one particularly poignant scene when Max's son hugged his dad after an unfortunate incident caused an embarrassing spill and exposed his father's delicate condition. The lady next to me started sniffing at the scene while i was already sobbing quietly.
Viktor Taus, the talented director, revealed that the movie was his tribute to his mentors but he accomplished more than that. He has crafted an emotionally moving film that also celebrates the lasting bonds of true friendship that may be broken by a decades-old conflict but can still survive when the heart finally decides to recognize what it truly feels and starts to forgive and forget the past.
The conflicts of the past plays a trick with all of us. We can try to run away from it but we all have to face it eventually. The three friends waited thirty years, but they got to it eventually. And when they do, it's as if the anger they harbored towards one another never existed at all. I wish i could reveal the plot surprise here but i will not.
"Clownwise" is anchored by great performances from two legendary Czech comedians: Oldrich Kaiser and Jiri Labus. The rest of the impressive cast include Didier Flamand, Kati Outinen, Julie Ferrier and Eva Jenickova.
Rating: 5 stars!
XXX
Raymond Lo
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