She invites him to stay with her and quickly falls for him romantically. A few nights later, Simon is attacked by a group of youths (after possibly provoking them on purpose) and turns up at the brothel, telling Noura he has nowhere to stay. One night he wanders into a brothel where he meets prostitute Noura (Diop), who seems to show him more affection than is normal for such a situation. Simon spends days walking the city, seemingly attracting negative attention from many locals. Show Less Show Moreįollowing a rough break-up with his girlfriend, twenty-something New Yorker, Simon (Corbet) travels to Paris where an acquaintance, Carlo (Ronchi) has allowed him to make use of his apartment. Maybe not in a positive way, but still rewarding. Very good character study here, it's gonna require a little patience, but it was a rewarding experience to say the least. And this film certainly has a very compelling character at its core, not a very likable one, but a compelling one nonetheless. As long as the story is satisfying, then that is all that matters, to me at least. Not every story needs to be uplifting, nor does every 'villain' need to meet his comeuppance. The darker themes of the film may not be enjoyed by some, but I think it works in this film's favor. When his life is exactly as he wants it, the shots a little bit more open. The camera is a little bit tighter on Simon at the beginning and end of the film, where he's at his worst emotionally and physically. I think the camerawork also reflects Simon's character. He's incredibly convincing as this manipulative sociopath. It's deserved because the character development really is top-notch, and Brady Corbet's performance is absolutely enthralling. You know what, as I'm going through the movie, I'm starting to realize how good this film really is. You start to see his lies and how manipulative he truly is and you get to the point of wondering how could any woman spend five years of her life with a man like this. Of course this is just a facade as you start to peel back layers of his personality as the movie progresses. The thing is that Simon at first comes across as someone who's just depressed about his break-up, you believe him when he says that his ex fucked up. That aspect of the film I certainly enjoyed, Simon's selfishness and his desire to maintain a certain lifestyle without having to work for it. He's someone who doesn't really care about anybody's needs but his own and he definitely acts accordingly. He lives off of the kindness of women, theoretically, as you only get to see how he manipulates one woman throughout the majority of his stay in Paris, but it wouldn't surprise me if he wasn't exactly the same when he was with his ex, and even his parents. But the character development is more than good, Simon is a compulsive liar, he's a manipulator and a freeloader. Not that the film is boring, it's just that the pacing doesn't really do itself any favors. The pacing could definitely have been a bit better, it can be a little off-putting, particularly if you're tired, as I was, and at times it was a struggle to stay awake. Why am I discussing this here? I do not know, maybe I don't have much to say. This is an occasion where quarter-ratings would be really helpful, because 3.25 stars would be right about where I feel this movie is. But I don't really feel comfortable giving it a 3.5 rating because I didn't think it was that good. At the very least I think it's a good film, but at the same time I think I'm underrating it. But I'm not exactly sure whether to give this film 3 or 3.5 stars. I certainly liked this movie and its focus on a sociopathic character and how his personality affects everyone around him in negative ways.
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