Stranger Than Paradise

The as of yet non-DVD'ed
Double Life of Veronique



Physical State: achey
Mental State: circular
Music: The Vinyl Cafe on CBC Radio2 with Stuart McLean (am I the only one who think his show sounds unmistakeably like Garrison Keillor's radio show, really weird)
Fashion sense: blue t-shirt, blue sweats

I smell a crusade here, so it's business as usual for me I guess. I would like to comment on one of the true travesties of film culture that exist today. No its not the colorizing of the classics, virtual actors, the if it ain't on the page it shouldn't be on the stage debate or the fact that my local rep theatre seems to have more dumb-ass comedies than true art lately. No these are all valid discussions but I want to speak about something that is very true and dear to my heart which I think is really sad. Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski better known by most people as the creator of the Red, White and Blue series or the Decalogue has seen all of these films and other works released on DVD. But one of my all-time favourite movies—often included in a handful that I suggest that people should see if I'm ever asked—is the captivating and mysterious adult fairy-tale The Double Life of Veronique. I could give you my interpretation of what this film is about if it was easy but it's not. This is one of the reasons I still find it interesting. There is no shit blowing up, no product placements nor annoying catch-phrases marketed on tv ad infinitum. It is simply a small but sublime foreign film that I think is long overdue in deserving a re-mastering and digital transfer to DVD. Maybe more so because it is a cineaste's favourite (and in my opinion the most intimate work by Kieslowski). Why is this still a VHS only release? There seems to be no justice in this fact. Irène Jacob has never done another film, in my opinion, that so distinctly captures her Ingrid Bergman-esque qualities and such an expressiveness with so little dialogue. In my mind it is a classic. I think its time to petition Alliance to get off its ass and get this re-release in gear. It's time has definitely come. Veronique deserves a suitable tribute by allowing film enthusiasts and students to see it clearly as a minor masterpiece that I think it is. It has a thought-provoking story, the beautiful cinematography of Slavomir Idziak and film-composer Zbigniew Preisner's haunting, albeit at times Zamfir-like, score. Here is a quick description from allmovie about what this movie is about (but merely scratches the surface). I direct you to check it out on VHS (if you can find it) and tell the rental store that you wished you could have seen it on DVD. At least see it if you can and tell me what you think. I've spent more than 10 years trying to understand this lovely film and I find it changes as you change. There's a quietness, contemplation about life and an enigmatic quality in it that I think is important to pass on.

The Double Life of Véronique is the story of two young women who are -- in some mysterious and irresolvable way -- the same woman leading two different yet interconnected lives. Those familiar with Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski's later "Three Colors" trilogy of Blue, White, and Red will recognize his fascination with accidental happenings and chance encounters, as well as Irène Jacob (from Red) whose performance as both Veronika and Veronique won the 1991 Cannes Film Festival award for best actress. Veronika and Véronique are born on the same day in 1966, one in Poland, the other in France. They grow up separately, unaware of each other's existence, but with the vague and rarely expressed feeling that they are "not alone." The story begins in Poland, where Veronika (like Véronique) is a talented vocalist and music student who wins a prestigious singing competition and is given the chance to perform with a local symphony. On the night of the concert, while singing a duet onstage, Veronika loses consciousness and dies. Véronique is emotionally wounded by the loss of her double and decides to end her singing career. The film charts the effect of Veronika's death on Véronique and on her dispassionate and unsatisfying relationships with men, especially her father. She is led to puppeteer and children's book author Alexandre Fabbri (Philippe Volter), whose puppet shows and stories are dramatic variants on her own mysterious problem. While looking through photographs of Véronique's trip to Poland, Fabbri discovers a picture of Veronika walking through a student demonstration in Kracow. He shows the picture to Véronique, who intuits the significance of Veronika's perfect likeness to herself. ~ Anthony Reed, All Movie Guide