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Pauline & Paulette | Year: 2001 Classification: Foreign Film - Other Directed: - Lieven Debrauwer Actors/Actresses: - Dora van der Groen - Ann Petersen Pauline & Paulette, a beautifully realized film I discovered this film about a month ago, and, initially, I must admit, I had reservations as to how good it might be. I haven't seen more than a dozen foreign-produced films, and while some have been quite well done, I came away from the majority disappointed. Everything about this film, though, vastly exceeded my highest expectations-the attention to detail, both in plot and characterization, is exquisite. The beauty of the plot, along with its actual realization in the film, defies any overly simplistic description that I might relate here, so I will limit myself to the basic theme and the manner in which this theme is expressed. I view the major theme of this film to be that of the treasuring, or cherishing, of ALL individuals-especially those who are often viewed by society as being less than human. Less than human, of course, refers to those people with physical/mental disabilities, who are generally brushed aside and devalued. Lieven Debrauwer's film, through careful plot device and quite humorous (yet still subtle & instructive) dialogue, never falters in bringing genuine and clearly heartfelt emotion to the screen. Quite clearly, this director has a great passion for fine filmmaking; never once throughout the film did I feel that any detail was excluded or otherwise overlooked. Unbelievably, all of this is packed into just slightly over 70 joyous minutes. The director's commentary on this DVD is superb; watch the film first, and then view the film again with his thoughts and various comments. You will be delighted by his style, and will acquire a wealth of insightful information about the participants in the production. I cannot close without noting the incredible acting ability of each & every actor in this film; even the taxi driver seems to have been chosen especially for his particularly convincing approach. (If this sounds far-fetched to you, please, please, please---buy the DVD & experience it for yourself!) If only Columbia had released his two short films on this Region 1 release! I eagerly look forward to the future directorial efforts of Mr. Debrauwer. A happy tears film Before seeing it, "Pauline & Paulette" was at the bottom of my list at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival. I had low expectations for it and only went to see it because my other choices were sold out. As sometimes surprisingly wonderful happens at these events, it turned out to be one of my favorite films. This is a story of four elderly sisters, one o e out how to turn it on let alone do significant programming. This was Mark David Perry's first script and given the detail and flair of Twohy's original what we have here just pales in comparison, even with a gratuitous nude scene thrown into the mix early on. There is not much the actors can do with this mess and there are few times in the film when they come close to catching the appropriate emotions of the moment since the script keeps insisting they be a step behind in figuring out what is happening. As I said, the only reason to watch "The Arrival II" (a.k.a. "The Second Arrival") is that ng the classic story of the shootout at the OK Corral... Henry Fonda first appears onscreen as a grizzled, shaggy cattleman, soon revealed to b y view> Buy Pauline And Paulette at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on Pauline And Paulette Search with the Priority Search Engine on Pauline And Paulette This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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