IFFR 2021 - Suzanna Andler
IFFRSuzanna Andler, from director, Benoît Jacquot, is a film hoping to muse and understand the sullen, glum moments of married life. It explores the dissatisfaction with the fundamentally similar styles of the day; the days with nothing to spark love or life into the pastel-coloured walls and the excitement over curtains and balconies and all the other frivolous, material nothings so many are possessed by. Miserable existences they may be, Suzanna Andler is one such example of never being able to break free from this infectious, horrid mould. Many find themselves in such a life, relying on the affairs and extensions beyond their marriage to fill in the fun that has been wretched away from them, but there is no understanding or fun to be had here.
Showcasing lengthy conversations on the ethical and moral issues of happiness, the titular character, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, is a void of responsibilities. Her attitude to life is that of boredom and stifled interest, trapped in her expectedly loveless marriage and looking for a way out through the affairs and friendships she clings to. Much of Suzanna Andler bases itself on the premise of interesting characters in familiar situations. The latter is true. These scenarios and lines are pulled from every other film that details a mired and struggling woman who can’t make up her mind on what to do. Her decision is a difficult one. Which slab of meat to fawn over? They have identically boring notions to their characters, only one has security and the other has the flames of potential freedom.
Neither are interesting overall though. Jacquot does not present a refreshing narrative point beyond lonely people enacting sad moments. They toil away at their own hardships, their void of self-centred nonsense a grating, consistent theme that takes its toll on the pacing and narrative. Jacquot cannot bring himself to deliver much unique cinematography either, a constantly moving camera juxtaposes the static characters that are glued to their villas and their fancy chairs. With such an underwhelming, primitive utilisation of the technical aspects, it is bold of this cast and crew to even visualise something greater than mediocrity, for their efforts here simply aren’t up to scratch.
Lukewarm and disconnected from its audience, Suzanna Andler struggles to convey any flourish of artistic enlightenment. A sad shame, too, since Gainsbourg offers a performance well worth this level of detailed exploration. What is of note is of little description, and there is no use for moments that lack detail. Suzanna Andler needs to hone in on the clear craftsmanship of the leading performance and provide something more pleasurable and experienced than the overcast skies of the seaside. Jacquot cannot face up to the fact that, no matter who or where his characters are, a grey colour palette is of no use at all. Those pale curtains and sanitised walls from the beginning should be rougher, reworked and expanded upon to show the spilled emotions and animosity underneath, but there is no such bold or courageous movement here. None at all.