LET THE SUNSHINE IN (Denis, 2017)
Criterion Collection, Blu-ray, Release Date May 21, 2019
Review by Christopher S. Long
In a late scene in director Claire
Denis' “Let The Sunshine In” (2017), a so-called psychic implores
Isabelle (Juliette Binoche) to always remain “open” to the
possibility of love. While a bland platitude is the best anyone can
expect from a psychic, this statement is the very last piece of
advice our protagonist needs.
“Open” is surely the one word that
best defines Isabelle's character as revealed through the series of
paramours or potential paramours she has encountered during the
film's compact running time. A loutish banker, a handsome and
feckless young actor, her ex-husband, a sophisticated work colleague,
even a stranger in a dance club – Isabelle leaves herself wide open
to the excitement, frustration, hope, and betrayal that could face
her in each relationship. She's so open that one fears for her safety
at times, but Isabelle definitely knows what she's doing.
A divorced painter in her fifties,
Isabelle is a veteran of many intimate battles. She has emerged all
the stronger from her experience not by encasing herself in a suit of
armor to fend off the slings and arrows of outrageous lovers, but by
never losing her faith that it's all worth it. He says he'll call
tomorrow, but of course he doesn't; he thinks it's romantic to ask
you to wait for a month to hear from him, but you find the prospect
insulting; you thought your night together was nothing less than
wonderful, only to hear him dismiss it as a terrible mistake best
forgotten. Isabelle absorbs every bruising disappointment because
she's certain the potential reward justifies the struggle, and it's
her implacable openness and vulnerability and fragility that makes
her so resilient.
Claire Denis and co-screenwriter
Christine Angot, very loosely adapting a Roland Barthes book, build
the narrative (a series of moments rather than a traditional plot)
entirely around Isabelle's resolute search for love or at least for
the relationship she wants, which also means relying primarily on
Binoche's dynamism to propel the story. Cinematographer Agnes Godard
knows just then to cut in – sometimes to leap in – to close-ups
of Binoche's face, usually when she's listening to men ramble on,
right at the moments when Isabelle realizes her partner's agenda and
perspective in no way match hers. Binoche transitions from bliss to
disenchantment with such ease, with just the twitch of a few facial
muscles, that every moment feels fresh and immediate, perhaps also a
residue of Denis opting for a minimum of rehearsal for her cast.
Isabelle's travails are quietly funny
too, though I admit I didn't pick up on as much of the humor as I
suspect I was supposed to until Gerard Depardieu shows up as the
aforementioned psychic, introduced dealing with his own relationship
troubles. The film had already offered a scene when the impossibly
vain banker (director Xavier Beauvois) barrels through Isabelle's
door brandishing a giant bouquet of flowers and the line, “I just
got in from Brazil, and I felt like banging you.” So I probably
should have noticed sooner.
Video:
The film is presented in its original
1.60:1 aspect ratio. Unsurprisingly, this recent film looks
magnificent in this high-def transfer. The color palette is rich and
naturalistic, detail level is consistently sharp throughout.
Audio:
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix is
equally sharp, heavy on dialogue. Optional English subtitles support
the French audio.
Extras:
This disc is relatively slim on extras,
but Criterion provides a new interview with Claire Denis (21 min.)
and a new interview with Juliette Binoche (17 min.) Denis talks about
the development and production of the film, giving ample credit to
co-screenwriter Christine Angot. She also emphasizes how humorous she
finds the story, a sentiment echoed by Binoche in her interview.
Aside from a Trailer, the only other
extra is the Claire Denis short film “Voila l'enchainement”
(2014, 31 min.) It stars Alex Descas (who also appears in “Let the
Sunshine In”) and Norah Krief as a married couple going through a
crisis.
The slim fold-out booklet features an
essay by film critic Stephanie Zacharek.
Final Thoughts:
It's hard to believe Denis and Binoche
hadn't worked together before. It's about the most natural
contemporary director-actor pairing one could imagine. Criterion's
Blu-ray disc isn't packed with extras, but the extra short film by
Denis is a nice bonus, and the film couldn't look or sound any
better.
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