The Housekeeper is one of those films that simply lulls its way though life, trying as it might to illuminate the ordinary and pay homage to the real. And perhaps if this authentic look at the mid-life of an ordinary man had been better scripted, The Housekeeper might have been a more satisfying examination of this small corner of existence. What drama is left to draw from the life and times of the film's lonely protagonist is best left to the tastes of the viewer.
Altogether, Claude Berri's slow, methodical film is about the loneliness of a man who is desperately trying to readjust the pieces of his moderately broken world. Left by his estranged wife, Jacques decides to hire a housekeeper (played nicely by Emile Dequenne) to put everything back to order. And, of course, as if all such situations were bound by romantic law to develop in such a fashion, love inevitably ensues. Which further leads to a rather expected series of raptures and arguments, followed suitably by the welcome reconciliation, and all delivered in such half-measures as to approximate the leisurely, non-committal pace of life itself.
Overall, The Housekeeper is a film best left to the judgment of the viewer, as its slow progression and pseudo-documentary style certainly don't lend to any kind of bullet-train narrative. What is presented is rather a glimpse, for all is flaw and failure, that is ultimately sweet and mildly engaging. The performances are strong despite the characters' general lack of development, unless one counts lengthy stares and cigarette smoking as some kind of inward growth. But an effectively romantic drama nonetheless, and one worth the time to the discriminating viewer.
Special features here are almost non-existant, lacking in almost every area, as if we should feel blessed to even have this rather soundless movie presented in 5.1 surround.
Overall, The Housekeeper is one foreign film that belongs on the rental shelf, even for the most passionate lover of cinema over seas.
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