Der Schaum der Tage

I have heard people say that the movie started to annoy them after ten minutes. I was much worse off because I started feeling the same way after only three minutes. If I had to describe Gondry's film with adjectives, they would be "incredibly annoying" and "irritating." My wife pointed out that unbearable hyperactivity is exactly what characterizes the film. I lasted half an hour and then gave up because I realized that this time, Gondry and I really never saw eye to eye. Narratively, the film is a failure on all counts, and Gondry's world, which enchants others, remains closed to me on several levels. This style would be great for directing music videos, and after all, Gondry has already made quite a few of them. But I consider watching a 130-minute music video as a horrible and terrifying ordeal. Overall impression: 25% for the visual aspects and wild ideas. (10.07.2016)

Ich kann nicht sagen, dass ich mir nicht gefallen hätte. Ich kann auch nicht sagen, dass es mich beleidigt hätte. Ich wünschte nur, es gäbe das gar nicht. Also versuchte ich, mit etwas Abstand ins Theater zu gehen, und statt einer Seerose auf meiner Lunge bekam ich eine Seerose auf meinem Gehirn. (29.08.2014)

Das Buch "Der Schaum der Tage“ stellt für mich eine der schönsten und originellsten Liebesgeschichten dar. In der Pubertät habe ich alle Bücher von Vian verschlungen, seien es die unter seinem echten Namen erschienenen oder das starke Quartett unter dem Pseudonym Vernon Sullivan. Ich hatte angenommen, "Der Schaum der Tage“ sei nicht verfilmbar. Ich habe mich geirrt, ich erkenne das Bemühen Gondrys an, trotzdem war der Film nichts für mich. Meiner Meinung nach dürfte die filmische Verarbeitung höchstens achtzig Minuten dauern, zweistündige visuelle Orgien ermüden fürchterlich, sie ziehen die Handlung sinnlos in die Länge und verderben den Gesamteindruck. Romain Duris ist wie Colin par excellence, Audrey Tatou ist in ihrer Rolle der Chloé ebenfalls glaubwürdig, doch es ist leider ein solcher Kultroman, dass dies auch für einen bekannten Regisseur ein zu großer Brocken ist. Und wir wäre es, "Wir werden alle Fiesen killen“ zu verfilmen? Das wäre viel einfacher. (09.09.2013)

As much as my Friday night and, by extension, Saturday morning view of the world around me can say I could have gotten used to it by now, my problem is that I still can't seem to take a stance on surrealism and don't really know how to view it at all. As a parable, a metaphor, an association, a bunch of unrelated ideas unanchored by any rules? Mood Indigo mainly gives the impression that it takes all of these approaches to that artistic movement, and not all at once, but doses them gradually. In particular, the ruthlessness of the last act, where Gondry attempts to make the viewer his emotionally exhausted bitch, pays off because the previous relationship between the two protagonists is built on the universal appeal of Audrey Tatou, who fails pretty hard in the role of the lovable rogue. Either film the surreal or film the plot, sorry. (05.11.2013)

I dare say that Mood Indigo is a film that managed to combine a refined form with impressive content in an incredible way. I can't imagine that anyone could have translated Boris Vian's cult novel to the screen better than Michel Gondry. He certainly unleashed his imagination to the fullest, but at the same time, surprisingly, he stayed quite faithful to the book. He managed to preserve its unique poetry, which is significantly enhanced in the film by the beautiful music. The cast may not be to everyone's taste, but I was personally very satisfied. Plus, I'm pretty sure that a repeat trip into the surreal world of Colin and Chloé will allow me to empathize even more with the recesses of their romantic souls. (25.12.2020)