Recent Reviews for L'Âge des ténèbres (The Age of Ignorance) (Days of Darkness)
Recent Reviews
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MCT:November 4, 2008NOT INTERESTED
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MCT:September 25, 2008On me dirait que le scénario est signé Michel Houellebecq que je n'aurais aucun mal à y croire. Un protagoniste pathétique qui ne trouve aucune valorisation dans son travail, une société froide où la chaleur humaine est remplacée par la paranoïa, des fantasmes sexuels omniprésents...
Honnêtement, rien de nouveau sous le soleil pour qui a un peu "voyagé", mais il est intéressant de voir s'inscrire un film du genre dans le paysage du cinéma québécois. Une pénible longueur dans le milieu trahit un manque d'inspiration ou une volonté de rendre les ficelles trop évidentes. Une métaphore est toujours plus jolie lorsque subtile. Peut-être qu'Arcand n'avait pas confiance en son public. On peut le comprendre. -
MCT:August 26, 2008Amazing movie... The shit about it...THE END!!!WHY DO YOU HAVE TO END THIS MOVIE LIKE THAT!!!... I know its a self-reflexing movie but... it sucks when a movie finish that a guys is slicing apples!
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MCT:August 14, 2008
tres sarcatique meme j'irais juste a dire arrogant mais s'est une belle ressemblance de se qu'on devient lentement et se que desire l'homme d'aujourd'hui
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MCT:July 30, 2008Bien que la critique n'ait pas du tout été en faveur de ce film, je dois avouer l'avoir apprécié. Comme j'adore les comédies noires et les satires, je ne peux faire autrement que d'embarquer dans cet autre trip de Denys Arcand. Marc Labrèche est égal à lui-même, toujours aussi bon, malgré le registre différent du film. Comme je suis aussi très imaginative, j'ai beaucoup aimé que le film s'appuie sur le monde imaginaire du protagoniste, je me suis sentie un peu comme si on entrait dans sa tête. J'ai aussi bien aimé la scène d'ouverture avec Rufus Wainwright, qu'on revoit aussi à la toute fin.
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MCT:July 14, 2008Days of Darkness gets off to a good start but runs out of steam as the film progresses...
Arcand's creation lampoons office life, disintegration of the family, inanity of the media and political correctness - and for the most part, it is on target. However, the narrative goes off course and loses momentum when Jean-Marc enters the Dark Ages in a sequence where the line between dream and reality is made very thin. Unfortunately, it is not redeemed by the end, which amounts to a cop-out towards the simple life...
For a full DVD review, visit: http://www.popjournalism.ca/magazine/2008/06/30/new-on-dvd-days-of-darkness/ -
MCT:July 1, 2008Denys Arcand frappe fort avec L'âge des ténèbres, son film le plus complet depuis Jésus de Montréal, bien qu'il ait été démoli par la majorité des critiques montréalaises et de la foule qui l'accompagnait. Ce qui est extraordinaire, c'est que L'âge des ténèbres parvient à instaurer un climat de comico-tragédie comme rarement vu auparavant. D'un côté, Jean-Marc Leblanc et son existence si banale, si insipide, si... commune. Le portrait typique d'une partie de chacun d'entre nous, de notre manque d'ambition et de notre étonnante capacité à nous complaindre dans une situation qu'on aurait la force de changer, n'eût été de ce pitoyable manque de volonté qui nous accable. Le scénario est en maints points semblable à Continental, mais infiniment plus travaillé, plus complet et plus riche, non seulement en terme de réalisation artistique mais également en ce qui a trait au scénario et aux dialogues.
De l'autre, Marc Labrèche, figure par excellence de la loufoquerie québécoise qui sait s'enflammer de satire et d'ironie dans plusieurs moments loufoques qui apportent au film un énorme je-ne-sais-quoi qui le distancie de la majorité de tous les autres films de notre petite patrie. Rêve et fiction s'entremêlent alors définitivement, et le spectateur se retrouve prisonnier de ce non-sens, incapable de dissocier les fantasmes du personnage de la réalité qui l'entourent. Quels sont alors les outils pour espérer se sortir d'une vie d'engagement, de responsabilités, de devoirs, de contrats et, plus qu'autre chose, de malheur? Quelles sont alors les possibilités pour atteindre le bonheur, et quel en est donc le prix à payer si la société estime qu'il est alors trop tard pour y parvenir?
Jean-Marc Leblanc s'aventure dans les sentiers de la vie et tente tant bien que mal de se tirer de ce bourbier dans lequel des milliards d'entre nous se sont empourprés. -
MCT:June 28, 2008
Un film qui fait beaucoup réfléchir sur la (piêtre) condition humaine en général mais aussi, sur le "petit-québécois-qui-fait-son-ost..-d'possible" que nous sommes. A voir.
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MCT:May 11, 2008
Un drame satirique très acide, mais extrêmement touchant pour quiconque se sent proche de Jean-Marc Leblanc.
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MCT:March 29, 2008L'ÂGE DES TÉNÈBRES (2007)
directed by Denys Arcand
starring Marc Labrèche, Sylvie Léonard, Diane KrugerCynical. Satirical. Dark. Pessimistic. Denys Arcand's latest film isnt as bad as the French said in their reviews, but its not as good as some of his best work, especially after winning an Oscar for his previous effort, The Barbarian Invasions. The film starts good, with an expected dream sequence, then follows plenty of scenes, which could have all been used separately as sketches. It works just fine and Arcand's dialogues are punchy, agressive and full of fabricated truth. Its funny and entertaining but then comes the moment where the film would have needed a rewrite.L'Âge des ténèbres has no plot, but it has a mood and some ideas. Its about a man. Married to an overachieving wife who basically lives for her job. He hasnt had sex in over a year and a half. He works for the government, listen to people complaining about their lives all day, about stuff they dont understand. He hates his life, so he immerses himself in a fantasy world. In those dreams, he is famous, his wife is Diane Kruger, a cute journalist keeps wanting him to have sex with her in front of people, he tortures his superior from work, he is what he thought he would become. In between dream-like moments he lives real life and those are depressing but the film use an ironic tone, depsise the government and the suburban life. Its all good stuff, but I think its a matter of culture to really understand this film and Arcand's point of view that mostly applies to French-Canadian's frustrations.
When his wife leaves for Toronto, our hero, Jean-Marc, finds himself alone, he thinks she left him and thats when the movie fails, it was good till then, even if it wasnt rising above the sketches level, at least it was good, but there is a good 15-20 minutes here that should have been cut, when its hard to tell wether its really happening or if its just part of the fantasy world Jean-Marc created within himself. Also, its hard to tell if that long sequence is really useful to the script. Im talking about the medieval stuff here, you will understand when you see it. Everything else is good, but that bit kind of made me lose interest for a while and felt like another film.
Arcand's direction is quite classical, he doesnt bring anything new, but as always, he knows how to set his camera and bring out the best of his actor. Marc Labrèche who hasnt been in too many movies for the last ten years is amazing, and proves that he is one of Québec's finest actors. Diane Kruger and Emma De Caunes are used for their beauty and they totally fulfill their character's destiny. Sylvie Léonard as the wife is as good as usual and so is the rest of the cast.
Once again, like he did before, Arcand brings back characters from previous movies and thats always fun to see the connection they have in this pessimistic painting of a world where people cant smoke near any building, everyone is afraid of the bird flu, pre-teen daughters give blowjobs to neighbors and everyone seems to be angry for a good reason.
The film was marketed as the end to a trilogy that began back in 1986 with Le déclin de l'empire Américain and obviously the follow-up, 17 years later, Les invasions barbares, but Denys Arcand himself denied that it really was a trilogy, while there are similar themes, its obvious this film has nothing to do with the other two, it was just a way to get more people to see it, like if Arcand's name wasnt enough to want to see a film. Its not bad, nor is it dissapointing, but it could have be a bit better. Its the kind of movies which gets easier to appreciate after many viewings.
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MCT:January 25, 2008
After Barbarian Invasions I came into this expecting something far less comedic and absurdist. In a near future dystopian Quebec with soul sucking bureaucracy, sexual tension, fantasy, stress and apathy all collide in the mind of Jean-Marc. The final result is an ending that is as perfect to this film as one can imagine. And certainly, one that I have fantasized about.
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MCT:January 5, 2008
Well... I guess this is it. Quebec best movie of the year. Does L'Âge des ténèbres deserve it? I am not sure. I mean, is this film that good or was it a bad year for French Canadian films. Knowing that the film will represent Canada at the Oscars and will TRY to compete with other foreign masterpieces. I am actually trying to convince myself that Denys Arcand?s final film to his ?social comments trilogy? might be overrated.
But, critics of all around the globe thought it was an average movie. I should say ?not as good as his two other great movies?. And I think I agree with that. The fact is that Arcand?s film is a roller coaster, going high and down, high and down, etc. In L?Âge des ténèbres, you can find an astonishing scene but the next scene is a bad one. That is the way I felt when I watched this film. And I think the film is ending with one of these ?down?.
Wait a minute Mate. Please, answer to this: What makes this film an average film? Because, there are plenty of great actors! Marc Labrèche may be one of Quebec finest comedian. So is Diane Kruger, a truly versatile actress able to do anything in front of a camera. She speaks french perfectly. Oh. Wait. I think I found why. It may be because of its concept. You know the typical guy who is dreaming of a better life, having his little dreamland to confront the banality of life? A little bit cliché, isn?t? Well, I?d say yes and no. I mean, the concept is banal, but Arcand know that fact, so he made it original. He took the cliché, and mixed it with his poignant ideas and dialogues and BOOM! It becomes original.
Maybe Jean-Marc Leblanc?s boring life is just a pretext to put funny and ?sometimes- entertaining dreaming sequences? In fact, this movie is empty. All that we see is bones. There is no flesh on those bones and this makes the picture a little bit cold. When I say that, I am thinking of a particular moment in the movie, where Arcand totally lost me: I was waiting in the real world of the main character, while Arcand was showing a way too long dreaming sequence (twenty minutes, maybe?). Some of them are going nowhere and have no sense. However, and this is the reason why I said sometimes entertaining, Denys Arcand successfully entertain the viewers with the dream world. I mean, the contrast between reality(drama) and dreams(comedy) is poignant. But then again, I do think it makes the movie unequal.
All things considered, I will not say it is a bad one. I will recommend it to you, Flixster friends, knowing the fact that there is a lot of you that are French Canadian. For the others that are interested in foreign cinema, well? If you liked The Decline of the American Empire and The Barbarian Invasions, I?d say why not? -
MCT:December 9, 2007
Une autre grande réalisation signée Denys Arcand. Une atmosphère de souffrance et de fuite dans les fantasmes dans un monde en désintégration!
Belle distribution d'acteurs et d'actrices, en particulier Marc Labrèche qui y livre une performance magistrale!!
Bravo à ce génie canadien qu'est Arcand!
8/10 -
MCT:December 8, 2007
Despite the almost unanimous critics in the whole world, I was completely satisfied with Denys Arcand's latest film.
Third of a trilogy that mostly made known the genius Canadian director/screenplayer, L'Âge des Ténèbres will represent Canada for the 2007 Academy Awards best picture in a foreign language. I can assure you that it will not win, and that it will let most of the critics to come not very pleased, but everyone will be able to find something to love, to admire and to remember in this magical movie. The dark message is maybe a little too much pushed in the scenes, some scenes that leads you nowhere sometimes, but the -absurd AND realistic- exemples of our desintegrated society will wake something in every viewers.
I cannot not mention Marc Labrèche's performance, which troubled me, for it was so deep, so real, so perfect. I hope this actor, not really known outside Quebec, will take some well-deserved awards here and there.
Finally, we have to remember that Denys Arcand is one of the two Canadian who has ever made a movie that has been nominated for an Oscar. He had three nominations and took home the statuette for best picture in foreign language for his masterpiece Les Invasions Barbares in 2003. And in my personal opinion, with L'Âge des Ténèbres, he hasn't let me down yet. -
MCT:December 7, 2007
Si par ses 2 précédents films, Arcand démontrait à quel point les amis et la famille étaient essentielles pour ne pas sombrer dans le désespoir, l'ennui et la solitude, il illustre ici un monde carrément en déchéance, en plein désintégration et parmi un personnage seule, morne, terne et totalement détruit qui vit un enfer de solitude tout les jours tout en s'imaginant et se permettant les rêves les plus fous. Un film pur, mais surtout dur, d'une cruauté assomante qui fait réfléchir d'une façon incroyable. Percutant, réaliste, brillant, métaphorique et même drôle. Un bijou avec une distribution hallucinante qui ne vole pas le devant de l'histoire et un marc labrèche carrément impressionant et d'une crédibilité alarmante dans un rôle qui ne se veut pas drôle du tout. Incroyable et tragique, Arcand frappe fort.
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MCT:June 21, 2007The third of Denys Arcand's trilogy. Yet to be released, an audience favourite hors competition at Cannes in 2007. I can't wait to see it, Marc Labrèche is an extremely funny and talented actor.
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MCT:May 31, 2007
Not much to say. See it because it's a good film. You won't regret it. Same style and humour as The Barbarian Invasions.
