Boy Meets Girl

Description

Leos Carax's (Pola X, Lovers on the Bridge) brilliant feature debut follows the relationship of an aspiring filmmaker (Denis Lavant), who has just been left by his lover and a suicidal young woman (Mireille Perrier), who is also reeling from a failed romance.

Customer Reviews:

A weak beginning for a good director........2006-01-14

I admire Leos Carax. How could one not admire a man so fixated on his grandiose ideas that he once bankrupted three producers and built a life-size replica of part of central Paris? At the same time, I confess that I don't so much like Boy Meets Girl, his first film. It leaves me with a feeling of dissatisfaction.

The protagonist, who looks exactly like Nick Cave, is an unemployed young man of ambiguous origins. He lives by himself in a small room somewhere in one of the shadier parts of Paris. When he gets tired of hearing the bickering of the couple next door, he skulks about the streets with his portable cassette player and glowers darkly. By chance, he comes across a depressed young woman named Mireille, and follows her to a party somewhere. He makes her acquaintance, they talk about their woes, and then he gets her to bring him home with her. Finally, disaster strikes and their romance is tragically cut short.

Mireille is also disturbed. She lives with a man who hates her and whom she despises. This situation is painful to her, and has presumably gone on for a long time. However, she shows no desire to change it, and continues to live in idleness, although her boyfriend is not so rich or successful as to be able to provide her with a luxurious existence. She is not married to him, and they have no children. It appears that she has never loved him at any point in time.

The film presents these facts without explaining or analyzing them. So, we learn that the protagonist wants to be a film-maker, although he has never actually made a film, and he does not really want to go through the process of making one. Similarly, we are told that Mireille wanted to be a model, but failed for some reason. We do not learn how they came to accept the lifestyles that they now lead, or even what they think about them. They make no attempts to justify themselves. Consequently, they come across as total ciphers.

Worse yet, both of them are incapable of empathy with each other, or with anyone else. When the main character has a chance to talk to the heroine, he talks about his suffering, argues that the woman should love him because she will eventually grow old and lose her good looks, and suggests that she could participate in a polyamorous relationship with him and his ex-girlfriend. Earlier, we learn that he has mistreated his ex-girlfriend, lied to her and even hit her, and that she has left him. He does not wonder whether she might have had good reason to do so. Mireille's troubles do not interest him either. But he does not even attempt to analyze his own feelings. It is impossible to understand what thoughts, objects and activities comprise his world. His apartment is totally bare. The only object in it is a typewriter that he doesn't use.

Mireille, likewise, is devoid of compassion for anyone other than herself. In depicting her, the film does not show her ever having a single kind thought. Her self-obsession, however, is lacking in self-awareness. She wallows in endless self-pity without really thinking about her life, or even acknowledging events and people around her. She is unwilling to do so. The film gives no plausible explanation for what might have driven her to such a state. Because of this, it is difficult to take her angst seriously.

And, since the film revolves exclusively around the angst of the protagonists, that means that there is nothing else to engage the viewer's own empathy. The viewer is left to wonder, uncharitably, whether the main characters are not merely engaging in such strange behaviour to be fashionable, there being no apparent cause for it in their lives. As the tagline of the film is "love without regrets," this was probably not the director's intention.

In addition, the dialogue is badly written. Carax's later film Lovers On The Bridge is much stronger and more believable in this regard. Here, the characters talk into space, not to each other. With each thing they say, the film becomes progressively more detached from reality. The plot device used to separate the main characters in preparation for the tragedy is especially silly. When Mireille leaves the party and takes the protagonist along, he has to stop somewhere to use the restroom, and then becomes engrossed in an arcade game for no apparent reason, so Mireille gets tired and leaves without him. Carax dwells on the arcade game for longer than necessary. He's not alone there, though. Such acclaimed directors as Wim Wenders and Chris Marker were also unduly fascinated by eighties technology.

To top it all off, the film isn't particularly visually interesting. Certainly it pales in comparison to Carax's own later films. The blurb on the cover says something about "night scenes in Paris," but there are almost no such scenes. Most of the film takes place indoors, in generic-looking apartments and kitchens. Despite Carax's love of the French New Wave, his camera here is boring and static. There are just a couple of Godard-style jump cuts, awkwardly placed. But it's not that he doesn't have a voice of his own. He just hadn't found it yet by this point.

The one scene here that works perfectly is the one where the protagonist overhears his ex-girlfriend talking in bed with her new boyfriend. Not only is it realistic, in contrast with the overwrought monologues that comprise most of the script, but it suddenly makes the protagonist's angst more comprehensible. Surely any man who overheard a woman he loved saying such things would feel just about the same way. Still, I think that the film is weak on the whole, and that Carax's next two films are far superior in both style and content.

TUFF LOV!.......2002-06-18

This bizarre, graphic and ultimately very moving journey through love's little foibles is brilliantly realized by auteur LEOS CARAX. In some ways a 'throwback' to the glorious days of Alain Resnais - superbly photographed and deliberately paced to draw the viewer [voyeur?] into the lives of our loving couple. Carax later works disappoint slightly, but let's face it he never is quite as boring as the other 'would be's"!

If you yearn for a good moody art movie - get this one!

Then explore the beginnings of this movement!

Companion To Eraserhead.......2001-09-10

I have finally found a film to view alongside David Lynch's Eraserhead! This film shot in Black and White has the same grotesque abnormalities of Eraserhead, as well as the deadpan humor. The characters are shape much the same way, lonely but lovable in that they deal with life's uncertainties and love that has failed or been lost.

Bountiful with all the Lynchian eccentricities that, either you'll find yourself understanding them or you just won't! The film, is playful in much the same way as early French New Wave but thought provoking and with a sense of muted charisma. This film will definitely take more that a one-time viewing to really get any thing out of it due to emotions flying high and low throughout. The shots of Paris at night are truly remarkable in that the warmth of the wet streets can almost be touched ,walked, and perhaps even a slight aroma can be imagined. The "you are there" surroundings seem like a heated dream you are about ready to wake up from. A surreal moment in modern french cinema or rather a filmed performance piece with textures abound. Watch with the intent of being a fly on the wall and you may experience certain particles of your life appear before your very eyes. ...

beauty is skin deep... ugly goes all the way through.......2001-05-22

On the surface, Boy Meets Girl is a beautifully shot film... sort of a classic film noir meets French new wave. But scratch off the artistic cosmetics and this is one ugly boring waste of time. Lots of pretentious babble and angst. Unlikable characters and a plot so uninteresting, I just wanted to hit the fast-forward button. Leos Carax has some talent and smarts (check out Pola X and Les Amants du Pont Neuf) but this ranks up there as a throw-away.

Average customer rating:

Contrived and Confused. What a mess.
Fairly Wretched.
Yucky
pure crap

Boy Meets Girl
Starring: Sunil Chandragiri , Tamsin Dorling , Robert Haynes , Pam Hogg , and Myuki Smith Khanna
Manufacturer: Unearthed
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000CABDB
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Description

A man meets a woman in a bar and goes home with her for what he expects to be a night of wild sex. As they sit back to watch her home porno movies, the woman slips something in his drink and the man passes out. Hours later, he wakes to find himself strapped to a dentist chair and the woman and her accomplice hovering around him. An unrelenting film of true horror that poses disturbing questions that everyone has thought of at one time or another.

Customer Reviews:

Contrived and Confused. What a mess........2005-05-24

I had been hearing about this movie for years. It is often spoken of along side films such as "Henry: Portait of a Serial Killer," "Man Bites Dog," "I Stand Alone" "Funny Games," and other works of profoundly disturbing cinema. Being, Myself, a fan of such feel-bad films, I could not help but indulge my curiosity and give it a rent.

What a disappointment. I guess the first thing I want to point out is that this film is not scary or suspenseful or even the slightest bit psychologically disturbing. Not that it doesn't try. In fact, when one considers the basic premise of the movie (torture) and its content (scenes of torture), it becomes achingly apparent just how horribly it fails in its purpose.

You ask for particulars? The script is a meandering, self-conscious mess. Despite all the juvenile psycho-babble, "Boy Meets Girl" has absolutely no philosophy. If Brady was going for nihilism, he should have trimmed his talky script considerably.

Due to the clunky dialogue, it is hard to judge the actor's performances. There wasn't much any actor could have done to salvage this script.

The extra star is for some decent production values (for a low-budget) and for the attempt, however flawed, to do something provocative.

Fairly Wretched........2004-12-04

What begins as an interesting enough premise soon collapses - horribly so - under its own weight. The acting seems particularly amateurish - and an internet search turns up almost no acting credentials for anyone. It shows.

The extended scenes of torture grow weary. One can almost "smell" the desparation of the filmmakers and actors as they try to play a game of "one-upping" it with themselves - only to loose every round.

Anne Marie's performing surgery on Tevin - has to rank as one of the worst scenes ever filmed. Seriously. So-called "actress" Danielle Sanderson's miserable attempt at "over the top" is so underdone I almost nodded off.

Actually credit must be given to Tim Pool who agonizingly manages somehow to sustain the anguish of Tevin's terror and who manages- while strapped to a chair for most of the film's 93 minutes - to show us a broad range of emotion from initial "pissed of" through defiance, to helplessness to rage until he's utterly broken. Neither of the females come even remotely close to this level.

Some will find the subject matter disturbing (actually, everyone should) and there's a decent idea here, but this thing just sinks and has "stinker" written all over it.

Yucky.......2004-06-04

"Boy Meets Girl" came to me highly recommended by a fan of extreme horror movies. I figured I would give it a shot based solely on his opinion. Well, sometimes you hit it big when a pal gives you tip and sometimes you don't. This 1994 movie from British director Ray Brady falls somewhere in between. As I watched the dark scenes slowly unfold on the television screen, I couldn't help but draw a parallel to what I was seeing with what George Orwell described in his novel "1984." Remember when Winston went into that dreaded room that contained the darkest fears of each individual who went there? Remember how his persecutor tormented him so long and so horribly that he eventually modified his thinking to blindly accept whatever Big Brother wanted him to believe? When he actually begged his tormentor to put him out of his misery rather than endure another electric shock? That's essentially what happens in "Boy meets Girl." One of the extras on the disc is a commentary track from the director; I should have listened to it to see if he got his inspiration from Orwell's dystopian classic.

The film starts innocuously enough. A guy named Tevin (Tim Poole) meets a stunning French beauty, Anne Marie (Margot Steinberg) in a crowded bar. He strikes up a conversation that soon leads to the pair heading to her apartment for a nightcap and probably much more. After a bit of small talk at the apartment, the French gal offers her new boyfriend a drink to relax. The next thing Tevin knows, he's not feeling well at all and his conquest is hovering over him with concern. Flash forward through unconsciousness and Tevin finds himself waking up strapped into a dentist's chair in a very dark room. All types of unpleasant looking tools, including an innocent looking video camera, clutter the room. The French girl is here too, except she suddenly has no accent and seems to be quite upset with Tevin. This poor chap does what anyone would do in a similar situation: screams (no one can hear him), struggles futilely against his bonds, and tries to reason with his captor. All to no avail. She's not letting him go no matter what he does, although she occasionally dangles references to freedom in front of him just to torment him. What happens then is a real shocker.

Tevin's first tormentor disappears, replaced by another woman named Julia (Danielle Sanderson). This woman isn't as overtly dangerous as the first gal, at least not at first. She seems to exhibit real concern for Tevin's condition until he slowly begins to realize this is just another phase of the game. Then the tortures start, hideous tortures involving weird things like microwave ovens (didn't Paul Atreides in "Dune" undergo this test?) and things placed over the head. I won't go into detail about what Julia does to Tevin except to say the implications are decidedly unpleasant. Moreover, Julia likes to talk to Tevin, telling him how much of a jerk he is and how he deserves everything he gets. She reveals that she knows everything about his life and his job, all the bad things he's done to his family and friends. It's obvious this abduction has been planned out well in advance. This lady even has photographs of his family. As time progresses and Tevin grows weaker from the endless shocks to his system, Julia reveals what she's been doing in this little dark room for a long, long time. Can a woman be a serial killer? Apparently so in the world in which this movie is set. The conclusion, I almost hesitate to say because it should be so obvious, is not a pretty one.

"Boy Meets Girl" will probably leave a bad taste in your mouth. It's designed that way. The English film censors banned this film for over eight years due to the subject matter. I usually don't take too much stock in the British cinema police, though. Many of the films on the "video nasties" list are so tame it's laughable that any government could have defined them as subversive or too graphic. Brady's film probably does fit certain criteria, though. The dialogue, even more than the violence, is perverse and degrading. The philosophy of "Boy Meets Girl" is sickening too, a mix of the Marquis de Sade with a form of ultra feminism that any decent human being should find repellent. Brady mixes things up by switching perspectives frequently, from what the video camera in the torture chamber is showing back to film showing the whole room. Perhaps a not too subtle rumination on the public's love for violence shown in the media? Who knows, but I suspect someone like Aileen Wuornos would have loved this film.

The biggest problem I had with "Boy Meets Girl" was the picture quality on the DVD version. So much haze clouded the picture that I felt like I was watching a second-generation VHS dupe. Such a bad quality transfer is a real problem when most of the film takes place in a darkened room. Still, the movie is an interesting one even if it does feel highly derivative. Poole does a wonderful job as the terrified Tevin. Margot Steinberg and Danielle Sanderson both turn in strong performances as women willing to carry things over the edge. A nihilistic, cynical film destined to be a minor cult classic; "Boy Meets Girl" needs a decent picture transfer more than it needs a bigger distributor. Oh, trailers on the disc include one for "Flower of Flesh and Blood." That ought to tell you a bit more about what this film is like.

pure crap.......2004-06-03

This movie tried to be something. the touble is I don't think anyone knew or had any plan of what this movie was supposed to be about. Nothing happens in the movie. Maybe that would have been a good start. Have something happen in the movie. Put that as the first line. pure crap. I'd give it a zero!

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I Kissed Dating Goodbye Video Series

Manufacturer: Multnomah Publishers
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Building on his best-selling book and popular conference series, Joshua Harris offers biblical direction for those seeking a love that'll last a lifetime! Open, honest, and often humorous, this powerful media package uses drama, on-the-street interviews, personal testimonies, and segments taped before a live audience to explore relationships in Josh's incomparable way. Three sessions (Love / Purity / Trust) will help singles of all ages gain a biblical perspective on how to readjust their relationships in light of Scripture. Plus nearly two hours of bonus features! Approximately 5 hours.

American Pie 2 [UNRATED VERSION] [UNCUT VERSION]

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American Pie 2 [UNRATED VERSION] [UNCUT VERSION]

Manufacturer: Universal Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000A8FCXW

Product Description

To the horror of prudes everywhere, American Pie 2 is even funnier than its popular predecessor, pushing the R rating with such unabashed ribaldry that you'll either be appalled or surprised by its defiant celebration of the young-adult male libido. Females will be equally shocked or delighted, because like American Pie this appealing, character-based comedy puts the women in control while offering a front-row view of horny guys in all their dubious glory. Which is to say, American Pie is mostly about sex--or, to be more specific, breasts, genitalia, "potential" lesbianism, blue silicone sex toys, crude methods of seduction, "the rule of three" (just watch the movie), a shower of "champagne," phone sex, tantric sex, and, oh yeah... superglue. In the case of college freshman Jim (Jason Biggs), performance anxiety plagues his upcoming reunion with sexy Czech exchange student Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth), but his buddies from American Pie have a solution: rent a Lake Michigan beach house for the summer, throw wild parties to lure the local "hotties," and score big-time. Beach Party this ain't: blessed with a complete cast reunion from AP1 (including Eugene Levy as Jim's dad), this sequel is anything but innocent, and with the exception of drugs (which are conspicuously absent), pretty much anything goes. The gags are almost nonstop, and director J.B. Rogers (recovering from his debut debacle Say It Isn't So) handles them with laudable precision, allowing his young cast (particularly Biggs, who epitomizes comedic good sportsmanship) to run with lines that most people wouldn't dare utter aloud. The result is a liberating and eminently good-natured comedy that needn't apologize for its one-track mind

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The Boy Meets Girl Collection (3-pack)
Starring: Mel Gibson , Helen Hunt , Marisa Tomei , Alan Alda , and Ashley Johnson
Director: Nancy Meyers , Donald Petrie , and Jerry Zucker
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0009UC7JS
Release Date: 2005-08-09

Product Description

What Women Want
Nick Marshall (Mel Gibson), an advertising executive and swinging bachelor accidentally stumbles upon the power to hear what women are thinking. Nick decides to use this newfound power to sabotage his boss Darcy (Helen Hunt) in order to further his own career. Things don't go exactly as planned when Nick falls in love with Darcy - creating conflict between his desire to get ahead and his inner voice telling him to follow his heart.

How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days
Andie needs to prove she can dump a guy in 10 days. Ben needs to prove he can win a girl in 10 days. Now, the clock is ticking - and the year's most wildly entertaining comedy smash is off and running in this irresistible tale of sex, lies and outrageous romantic fireworks!

Ghost
Think of the most touching love story you ever saw. Think, too of the brightest comedy, the most astonishing supernatural tale and a sleek mystery-thriller. Did you come up with four separate films? Or are you among the millions of fans and critics who've discovered Ghost, the No. 1 film of 1990? Ghost will surprise you, delight you, make you believe. Patrick Swayze plays a ghost who teams with a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to uncover the truth behind his murder - and to rescue his sweetheart (Demi Moore) from a similar fate. "The word of mouth is that Ghost is a must-see romance," says Entertainment Weekly. Ditto to that!

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Boy Meets Girl [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.0 Import - Australia ]
Director: Ray Brady
Manufacturer: Siren Visual
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Genres | DVD | Video | Action & Adventure | African American Cinema | Animation | Anime & Manga | Art House & International | Classics | Comedy | Cult Movies | Documentary | Drama | Educational | Fitness & Yoga | Gay & Lesbian | Horror | Kids & Family | Military & War | Music Video & Concerts | Musicals & Performing Arts | Mystery & Suspense | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Special Interests | Sports | Television | Westerns
ASIN: B000GBI8FW

Product Description

Australia released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: English (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: This dark British drama features S&M and centers upon a woman who slowly, fatally tortures the man she keeps captive in her basement. Anne Marie, a French woman, finds her captive, Tevin, in a bar. She is beautiful and he willingly returns to her apartment for a night of love. Instead she spikes his drink. He awakens to find himself stripped to his underwear and strapped to a dentist's chair. Enter Anne Marie, dressed in full dominatrix garb. She swiftly begins a series of vigorous mental and physical tortures. An unseen third person videotapes the festivities. Anne-Marie is soon replaced by the camera woman and true perpetrator, Julia, a serial killer. For her good work, Anne-Marie is butchered and her head is placed in the cellar with Julia's other victims. Julia proceeds to continue tormenting Tevin until the film's inevitable conclusion. SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery, Production Notes, Trailer(s),

Average customer rating:

A weak beginning for a good director.
TUFF LOV!
Companion To Eraserhead
beauty is skin deep... ugly goes all the way through

Boy Meets Girl [Region 2]
Starring: Denis Lavant , Mireille Perrier , Carroll Brooks , Elie Poicard , and Maïté Nahyr
Director: Leos Carax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005M1SP

Customer Reviews:

A weak beginning for a good director........2006-01-14

TUFF LOV!.......2002-06-18

If you yearn for a good moody art movie - get this one!

Then explore the beginnings of this movement!

Companion To Eraserhead.......2001-09-10

beauty is skin deep... ugly goes all the way through.......2001-05-22

Boy Meets Girl Collection (What Women Want / How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days / Ghost - Special Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Boy Meets Girl Collection (What Women Want / How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days / Ghost - Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: Mel Gibson , Helen Hunt , Marisa Tomei , Alan Alda , and Ashley Johnson
Director: Nancy Meyers , Jerry Zucker , and Donald Petrie
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000MGBSEE
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Product Description

Ghost
Think of the most touching love story you ever saw. Think, too of the brightest comedy, the most astonishing supernatural tale and a sleek mystery-thriller. Did you come up with four separate films? Or are you among the millions of fans and critics who've discovered Ghost, the No. 1 film of 1990? Ghost will surprise you, delight you, make you believe. Patrick Swayze plays a ghost who teams with a psychic (Whoopi Goldberg) to uncover the truth behind his murder - and to rescue his sweetheart (Demi Moore) from a similar fate. "The word of mouth is that Ghost is a must-see romance," says Entertainment Weekly. Ditto to that!

Average customer rating:

Contrived and Confused. What a mess.

Fairly Wretched.

Yucky

pure crap

Boy Meets Girl [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video
( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000065UGS

Customer Reviews:

Contrived and Confused. What a mess........2005-05-24

Fairly Wretched........2004-12-04

Yucky.......2004-06-04

pure crap.......2004-06-03

Boy Meets Girl Stories [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Netherlands ]

Average customer rating:

Boy Meets Girl Stories [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Netherlands ]
Director: Mark de Cloe
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Netherlands released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Dutch (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: A collection of 34 cinematic poems/short films about being in love. SPECIAL FEATURES: Scene Access, Photo Gallery, Interactive Menu, Cast/Crew Interview(s),

DVD:

DVD

DVD