Genesis (2019)

Written by zenjito on November 5, 2022

One of my faves and I bet Timothee works with the director

This is one of the best films I've seen – and I've seen many acclaimed movies, art and commercial.

PREDICTION: I bet Timothee Chalamet ends up working with the director Philippe Lesage. I think he’d appreciate Lesage’s depth and intelligent, compassionate understanding of human beings – and they both have a French background.

The film is unusually realistic, and sensitive in every meaning of the word: Lesage has clearly observed and reflected on human nature to the point of deep sympathy, which he expresses on film with subtlety, delicacy and brutality. I loved it.

It's not just about first loves – it's about the human condition.

~*~

I saw some on IMDB gave it bad reviews: I can only assume these people lack the depth and life experience to appreciate the psychological and emotional material it explores. Maybe in a few years they should watch it again, and pay closer attention! (It's a small-scale, slow(ish)-burn psychological-emotional movie, not a racy blockbuster!) An exquisite gem, to be turned over slowly in the hand.

I didn't find it boring for a minute – the only scene I thought could have been cut was the second club dancing scene. (Though perhaps when I watch it all again, I’ll understand why it’s there.)

Some complained about the last section. Two responses:

• Yes, it’s unusual and like a small movie in itself. It's not what’s normally done. That's innovation!
• It does fit with the rest of the movie if you grok it a little. If it was at the start, you could see this even more: it’s a counterpoint showing how innocent love can be (especially at an earlier age), compared to how tumultuous it can be (especially later in life). In its place at the end of the movie, you could see it as a kind of ‘saving grace’ that gives some hope, reminding us how pure affection and fascination can be. Or if you’re of a darker mind: you see the sadness that may lay in wait for Felix and Beatrice. It’s almost like the cycle of life: ‘...and so it all starts over again’.

Sidebar: I've been to similar gatherings and it was so good at evoking the warm, intimate, relaxed atmosphere of such gatherings. (Unless of course you're a cynic who's mind and heart is incapable of enjoying ‘all that’ – in which case even such gatherings would leave you cold and seeing hidden motivations everywhere...yep, the ravenous Consuming Mind searching for its prey...)

~*~

Did any of you film fiends notice the probable homage to Zéro de conduite?