The Lovers on the Bridge

Starring:Juliette Binoche, Denis Lavant, Klaus-Michael GrÃ¼ber, Edith Scob, Georges Aperghis, Daniel Buain, Marion Stalens, Chrichan Larsson, Paulette Berthonnier, Roger Berthonnier, Michel Vandestien, Georges Castorp, Marc Desclozeaux, Alain Dahan, Pierre Pessemesse, MaÃ®tre Bitoun, Johnny Aldama, Jean-Louis Airola, Albert PrÃ©vost, Marc Maurette
Director: Leos Carax
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

How can a movie be so ludicrous and so ecstatic at the same time? The Lovers on the Bridge stars Juliette Binoche as a street person (there, in a nutshell, is the ludicrous part) who was formerly an artist, but began to go blind and whose life fell apart as a result. She hooks up with a homeless street performer (Denis Lavant) who lives on a bridge in the middle of Paris that has been cordoned off for repairs. He falls madly in love with her; she can't bear the thought of being close to anyone. Both are more than a little irrational. But this banal scenario is merely the pretext for a series of lush and stunning images--including midnight water-skiing, fireworks displays, wandering through falling snow, burning posters in subway tunnels--and richly committed performances from the actors. It's not quite as overwhelming on video as it is on a movie screen, but there's such a gushing of emotional images that it's hard to resist the angst and yearning passion. Though the film dives into some cliches, it manages to avoid others; when Binoche's wealthy family starts looking for her, a frightened Lavant tries to keep her hidden away, and you really don't know whether their relationship can possibly survive. An unusual and sweeping film--and an example of the power of visual images to create a state of rapture. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Martin Scorsese presents Academy Award(R)-winning star Juliette Binoche (Best Supporting Actress 1997, THE ENGLISH PATIENT, CHOCOLAT) in a uniquely uplifting story of two misfits who risk everything for love! A homeless artist who is losing her sight, Michele (Binoche) finds herself drawn into a passionate relationship with a troubled street performer named Alex. Then, despite all obstacles, they together find love and shelter on the famed Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris. But, in time, their unlikely love will be tested as Michele's secret past catches up with her! With memorable performances from an outstanding cast, you'll be swept away by the stirring romance of this wonderfully inspired motion picture!

Customer Reviews:

jazzman.......2006-09-27

Oh, it's unforgettable all right. Without a doubt, the weirdest movie I
have ever seen. Repulsive and nauseating as well. I actually threw up
after enduring this pretentious piece of crap from (SHOCK!) France. One
disgusting, weird scene after another, after another. And the film is FULL
of lies. The French have come up with their share of cinematic turkeys
before, but this thing sets a whole new standard. How about homeless,
drunk idiots water skiing with fireworks in the background? How many times
have you EVER seen that in real life? One of the reviews on the
DVD jacket calls this "one of the decade's most thrilling films" (Vogue
Magazine). I don't think these film critics get out much, if this is their
idea of "thrilling". There is a scene of the 2 lead characters running
naked on a beach at night. If you look closely, there's more to it than
just that. I just shook my head in amazement. Weeeeeirrrrd. I thought
many times of just ejecting the DVD out of the player. Just too much to
stomach or even believe. A colossal piece of crap from France.

Crazed and self-destructive........2006-09-01

"Lovers On The Bridge" is notorious, but not very popular. It caused a big scandal in France, not because of its content, but because of the caprices of its director Leos Carax. Much of the film takes place on the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris, and Carax demanded to be allowed to film right on the bridge. So, the bridge was closed off just for him, and even then he couldn't finish filming. After he was kicked out, he built a life-size model of the bridge and part of its surroundings, somewhere in the countryside, and tried to finish filming there. Even then he went over budget three times, thus causing three separate producers to go bankrupt.

The film was a complete failure, commercially. Critics thought it was too long and too self-important. The public just didn't bother to see it. As a result, Carax's career was basically over by 1992. Since then he's only made one film, "Pola X" in 1999. (There's word that he's making another one right now, though.)

What is "Lovers On The Bridge" about? It stars Carax's favourite actor Denis Lavant as Alex, a bum who lives on the Pont-Neuf. Sometimes he puts on a fire-eating act to entertain passersby on the street. The rest of the time, he gets drunk. He's also addicted to pills of some kind.

One day, a woman shows up on the bridge. She doesn't talk about her past, but Alex finds out that she comes from a rich family. She was abandoned by her rich boyfriend, and she has a problem with her eyesight which will eventually make her blind. Because of these problems, she decides to run away from home and go slumming on the Pont-Neuf.

Naturally, Alex falls madly in love with her. They cavort on the bridge together and steal money from rich tourists. Then of course they're separated. Alex does a whole bunch of desperate and stupid things and loses his will to live. Maybe you can guess whether or not they're reunited in the end.

Carax's underlying worldview in this film is exactly the same as in his two earlier films, "Boy Meets Girl" and "Bad Blood." He believes in a thing called love, you see. But his idea of love has a lot of narcissism in it. His lovers are hopelessly self-absorbed. They can never have any kind of normal life together, simply because they would be unable to support each other. They can get drunk together, but they can't feel so much compassion or empathy. Alex, in particular, is a psychopath. He tries to prevent the woman from curing her eye problem, because he doesn't want her to leave the bridge.

And Carax also believes that the sensory impact of a film is more important than the logic of its narrative. So, this film contains many vivid, visually brilliant scenes that don't make much sense if you think about them. For example, Carax thinks that guns are romantic, so he puts a gun into the film and uses it in a long dream sequence. The sequence doesn't have much bearing on the plot, and actually it makes his heroine look cold and vicious, but it's exciting to watch.

The greatest scene of this sort is the one where the lovers celebrate Bastille Day by screaming and doing cartwheels on the bridge, to a deafening medley of classical, rock and rap music. The content of the scene has no meaning. But the effect is ecstatic. And in a way, it really captures a youthful feeling of falling in love.

If Carax's worldview doesn't appeal to you, then you'll probably agree with the critics who savaged the film. They have a point. But still, "Lovers On The Bridge" is Carax's best film.

First of all, he has a much stronger script than before. His two earlier films are full of long, artificial monologues, which are recited into space by the characters. But here, the dialogue is much more terse. Alex doesn't say much at all, and this is very appropriate to his character.

Second, Carax paid attention to the setting of his story. The plot might not be very believable. Of course that's the point. Carax wants to overwhelm the emotions by any means necessary. But nonetheless, the opening of the film just shows a few scenes taken at a homeless shelter in Paris. They are unrelated to the plot, and the main characters don't appear in them. But they make a very strong impression. Carax shows the bad conditions in which his characters live, without making anything up. Somehow, this realistic introduction makes the rest of the film much more convincing.

Third, the romance is just a little bit more subtle than in Carax's earlier films. In "Bad Blood," for instance, it was hard to see why Julie Delpy loved Denis Lavant so much, since his character there was basically the same as here. But here, Carax implies that the heroine isn't quite in love with Alex. Or rather, she is, but only up to a point. She loves him while she's slumming on the bridge, but she doesn't want to take him with her when she leaves. She shows no concern for him when he suffers the most from her absence. She does remember him later, but she only wants to see him on her own terms. In other words, she's like him. That's not very nice, and in fact the main characters of this film are not nice people, but it's believable at least. It's also hard to see why she went down to the bridge in the first place, if she's like that, but that's not really the point. Carax needs the bridge because it allows him to make his grand spectacles.

I honestly don't know if I'd recommend this film. It's alternately unpleasant and thrilling. But it is Carax's best film. There's nothing else that's quite like that.

Stunning, Mesmerizing, Outstanding .......2006-01-25

This review refers to "Lovers on the Bridge"("Les Amants du Pont-Neuf")VHS(Miramax)

Well, you already know from my title of this review that I have fallen head over heals in love with "Les Amants du Pont-Neuf".I viewed it last night and have not been able to get it out of my head. It is a film in which the characters, the story, and the setting touched me very deeply.

The film opens with a very hard but real look at homeless life in the streets of Paris. It is very tough to take and not for the sensitive. As we slowly move to the Pont-Neuf bridge, we meet two denizens that have found shelter while it is being refurbished and closed to the public, and learn the meaning of true love. Michelle, a young woman losing her sight, and Alex a street performer who can not sleep without the aid of drugs form a beautiufl bond. They share everything, and seem to make the best of their situation at every moment. When Michele's past throws a new twist to into their lives, their love goes through a long and heartwrenching test.

Written and Directed beautifully by Leos Carax, this film seems very real. Carax, doesnt dwell on the small stuff, nor does he feel the need to explain the events, but leaves the audience to just absorb the story and in some cases, come to their own conclusions. I enjoyed this style very much. Juliet Binoche is simply amazing. She is so versitile, and will have you falling in love with her 'Michelle' as she always does. Denis Lavant is outstanding as the man who will do anything to keep his love by his side.

This film runs a little over 2 hours, and I didn't want it to end, nor did I even realize the time had gone by so quickly. I was totaly immersed in this film.It won three awards from the European Film Awards.Best Actress for Julitte Binoche, Best Editing, Nelly Quettier, and for the exquisite filming by Jean-Yves Escoffier,Best Cinematographer. This edition of the VHS is in French and has subtitles in English (ASIN: B00003L9CA). It is a full frame picture(modified to fit your screen), and has excellent sound in Hi-Fi Stereo.

The film is a stunning, mesmerizing, and an outstanding study of "The Lovers On The Bridge". A must see for fans of 'La Binoche', French films or just fine filmmaking.....Laurie

The Scent of Heartbreak.......2005-03-20

Proof positive that the French function on an entirely different intellectual plane that their American counterparts. It's sometimes hard to believe that our two cultures inhabit the same planet. Imagine if your only island of sanity and security was an endangered bridge in the midst of one of the world's most exquisite cities. Imagine yourself without love or hope in the center of the most romantic of capitals. Imagine the moist chill as you awaken, hung over, under a sheet of plastic and litter, knowing your day holds nothing but the need to beg and steal to survive, devoid of any hope for salvation. And then imagine it all somehow turning towards a warmer sun... at least for the moment... after a crime you may or may not have committed. Think and feel what that moment would taste like. Binoche is captivating, riveting in a performance of courage and risk, an extraordinary actress by any measure. Paris has never seemed more beautiful, especially when devoid of human traffic in the hours where those from the other side of life wander its streets. An incredible film, and for anyone who has known heartbreak, a work that will imprint itself on your heart.

Unwatchable.......2004-09-24

I own lots of French DVDs and watch them all the time so I am by no means trapped in a Hollywood sensibility. To be fair, my review is based only on the first quarter or so of this film, which was as much as I could stand. If you -- like me -- have a limited capacity to get down and dirty with psychotic street people living like animals, then you and I are thinking alike. Obviously many people have watched it and heartily approve. To me, it is unwatchable.

Average customer rating:

The Lovers on the Bridge [Region 2]
Starring: Juliette Binoche , Denis Lavant , Klaus-Michael Grüber , Edith Scob , and Georges Aperghis
Director: Leos Carax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005LDEY

Charlie Rose with Fareed Zakaria & Gerald Seib; Juliette Binoche; Martin Cruz Smith (June 9, 1999)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Fareed Zakaria & Gerald Seib; Juliette Binoche; Martin Cruz Smith (June 9, 1999)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Average customer rating:

jazzman
Crazed and self-destructive.
Stunning, Mesmerizing, Outstanding
The Scent of Heartbreak
Unwatchable

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Horseman on the Roof
Children of the Century
Rendez-Vous
Jet Lag
The Widow of Saint-Pierre

ASIN: B00004RYMC

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

jazzman.......2006-09-27

Crazed and self-destructive........2006-09-01

Stunning, Mesmerizing, Outstanding .......2006-01-25

The Scent of Heartbreak.......2005-03-20

Unwatchable.......2004-09-24

Average customer rating:

jazzman
Crazed and self-destructive.
Stunning, Mesmerizing, Outstanding
The Scent of Heartbreak
Unwatchable

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Horseman on the Roof
Children of the Century
Rendez-Vous
Jet Lag
The Widow of Saint-Pierre

ASIN: B00005NT57

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

jazzman.......2006-09-27

Crazed and self-destructive........2006-09-01

Stunning, Mesmerizing, Outstanding .......2006-01-25

The Scent of Heartbreak.......2005-03-20

Unwatchable.......2004-09-24

Lovers On The Bridge, The (Amants du Pont-Neuf, Les) Limited Collector's Deluxe Gift Set Edition [Import]

Average customer rating:

Lovers On The Bridge, The (Amants du Pont-Neuf, Les) Limited Collector's Deluxe Gift Set Edition [Import]
Director: Leos Carax
Manufacturer: EZ Company Korea (Made for the U.S.A.. and Europe)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Gift Box set extras include: - Interview Photo Booklet (32 pages)
- Making Of Documentary (54 min)
- About Pont-Neuf feature - About locations feature
- Photo gallery - Filmography - Trailers - et al
"...grand gestures and touching moments of truth!" Roger Ebert -- "..lovers in a fabulously romantic tale." Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle

ASIN: B000LAAPE0

Product Description

Martin Scorsese presents Academy Award-winning star Juliette Binoche (The English Patient, Chocolat) in a uniquely uplifting story of two misfits who risk everything for love. A homeless artist who is losing her sight and driven to life in the steets, Michele (Binoche) finds herself drawn to a passionate relationship with a troubled alcoholic street performer named Alex. As they slowly get their lives back together, Michele becomes increasingly dependent on Alex as her vision deteriorates. Fearing that Michele will leave him if she receives a new medical treatment, Alex attempts to keep Michele completely dependent on him. The streets, skies and waterways of Paris are used as a backdrop to the story. A series of stunning visuals dominate the film. With memorable performances from an outstanding cast - you'll be swept away by the stirring romance! This is a wonderfully inspired motion picture.

Average customer rating:

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004VYGP

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