Rating: 5/5
Usually, it began like this…
Julie uses her heels to make a shape in the sand, her finger holding her place in a book of magic spells. She reads passages, then closes her eyes to recite them.
Céline walks by, decked in boas and scarves, dropping her sunglasses. Julie grabs the sunglasses and tries to grab Céline’s attention. Céline runs, dropping more items behind her. Julie picks each one up.
When Céline turns around, Julie stops and acts coy. The cat-and-mouse game continues, their game weaving between street markets and pedestrians.
In the chase, Julie loses Céline and walks away.
Julie returns the next day. The two reunite over coffee. Their lives merge as they move in together and switch off being each other.
Alice, it is really like Wonderland
Julie has a memory of a house address.
Without warning, we are inside the house. We have a new cast of characters. Their dialogue is old-fashioned, like a Henry James story. Julie is a nanny in the narrative. The scenes don’t fit together — they’re out of order.
I've no idea where they came from. It's odd, though. They mean something to me. Their faces are familiar… I don't know if it's a lapse of memory or if they're hazy dreams.
Celine asks for the address of the house and goes there. The door opens as she walks into the darkness.
Julie also goes to the house. Something throws Céline out of the house, exhausted. Julie helps her into a taxi. Céline also has a piece of candy in her mouth. Julie takes it out and saves it.
The two women are story creators. People accuse Céline of being a compulsive liar, and Julie engages in make-believe. They support one another, working together to understand this story that has taken over their lives.
Each move contributes to the game’s development. Is the story some alternate reality or something Céline and Julie concoct together? Does it matter?
By introducing and repeating the story, the film investigates adaptation and what liberties you can take. Each time, they find the ending dissatisfying. So, they use magic to change the narrative.
Overall, this movie is a delightful, surrealist adventure I loved getting lost in.