Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Je veux voir (2008)
Director: Khalil Joreige, Joana Hadjithomas
Movie review
From Time Out London
This ghostly, semi-improvised guided tour through the shell-damaged streets of Beirut and the countryside of southern Lebanon soon after the bombings of summer 2006 offers a candid précis on the human cost of war. It also weighs up the relative merits of documentary and fiction filmmaking within such a sensitive context.Playing herself, Catherine Deneuve is the guest of honour at a gala dinner in Beirut, but first she asks if she can be driven around the area to witness the devastation firsthand. She strikes up a fond rapport with French-speaking Lebanese actor Rabih Mroué who is her chauffeur as they travel through the rubble.
Husband-and-wife team Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige capture their meandering conversations but also ensure the wider tragedy is present, whether in glassy shots of the sprawling wreckage or as reflections in the car windows. They never take full dramatic advantage of the situation (as Philippe Aractingi did in 2007 with ‘Under the Bombs’), and there’s no denying that this is a single-note film, but it’s a note of considerable emotional clout.
Author: David Jenkins
Time Out London Issue 2039: 17-23 September, 2009
User reviews of this film
-
- Sarah said...
- Posted on Oct 02 2009 11:50 Overall, very dull. Interesting shots of the scenery but hardly any dialogue and endless shots of Catherine fast asleep in the passenger seat. Normally I love this genre, but this film is worth skipping.
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Khalil Joreige, Joana Hadjithomas
Cast: Rabih Mroue, Catherine Deneuve full cast
Rated: 12A
Duration: 75 mins
UK Release: Sep 18 2009
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
London Children's Film Festival
Read our exclusive reviews of films playing at the 2009 London Children’s Film Festival
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
The Coen brothers discuss 'A Serious Man'
Masters of contrary comedy, Joel and Ethan Coen have struck gold again with their latest, ‘A Serious Man’
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations












What do you think?
Post your review now