Rating: 3/5
Hooptober 4.0 | 11/31 | Countries 5/6 | France
You are just a lifeless ghost. Your kingdom isn’t real!
Cut to Anna and Françoise, driving through Auvergne to jaunty Bossa nova. They are on holiday from school. Anna talks about drawing comics once she gets out of art school. Françoise discusses fatalistic philosophy. When they switch off driving, Anna draws a comic of Françoise running through the woods.
They stop at a small pub, bringing the regulars to silence. They order some mulled wine and coffee. The server suggests they finish their drinks quickly and not drive through town. They oblige and take the back roads.
Night falls. The radio loses signal. Anna recognizes part of the road. They’ve been driving in a circle. They run out of gas.
They find a barn. They lay out their furs and share some food, optimistic about the next day. Before Françoise can fall asleep, Anna strokes her face and makes a move. Just like two friends, they make out.
When Françoise wakes up the following morning, Anna is gone. Gurth finds Françoise and promises to lead her to Anna. Françoise follows Gurth into the woods. Françoise spots a castle on a cliff near a lake. When she looks back, Gurth is gone. Two torches burn beside the lake, and a boat waits to take Françoise to the other side. As if by magic, the ship moves on its own accord.
Women in pastel cloaks stand along the rocky shore. Inside, she meets Morgana Le Fay, who draws her into her surreal world of dreams and nightmares. Morgana offers Françoise an eternity of immortality and beauty or cast out among the other rejected older women.
The movie has a soft, slow pace. It chases a vibe far more than a concrete plot. The film has a plot, but it doesn’t race through it.
Several actors have the same dyed red hair, so I had difficulty differentiating some of them.
Put this movie on in the background at a party. Otherwise, there is not much here to recommend.