Pola x [Widescreen] (E)

Leos Carax’s first feature since 1991’s “Les Amants du Pont Neuf” uses as its source material Herman Melville’s novel “Pierre or, the ambiguities”. In this modernisation of the novel, the comfortable world of privileged and idealistic novelist Pierre (Guillaume Depardieu) falls apart when he discovers that he has a sister called Isabelle, whose existence was kept secret from him by his possessive mother (Catherine Deneuve). This shock revelation causes Pierre to leave behind his charmed life and head to Paris where he embarks on a new novel and a journey to uncover the truth of the world. He soon discovers the dark side of human nature as he begins to slide into despair and embarks on a destructive relationship with his troubled sister. “Pola x” stumbles at times as it slips between youthful romanticism and utter nihilism. However it’s too easy to criticise Carax’s ambitious project or merely dismiss it as pretentious as some critics had. Ultimately “Pola x” maps a complex terrain, a grand, sweeping diatribe on contemporary society and, with that, it’s hard not to feel that Carax is as romantic and idealised as his tragic hero. Cast includes: Katerina Golubeva, Delphine Chuillot. In French with English subtitles.