Betty Blue

So, I know I said I'd review Indiana Jones, but it looks like I'm off to the cinema to see another action film tonight, so think I'll just review them both at the same time. Instead I wanted to right a quick post/review of Betty Blue, a film I've watched before and reviewed on Sounds Of Europe if anyone was listening.

Last night, for no apparent reason, I started watching this film again. Its actually a very sweet film, with likable characters that kind of sucks you in before you realise. Bearing in mind I was about to go to bed, and put it on for background noise perhaps I ended up watching well over an hour of it before I remembered that its a 3 hour film and I needed some sleep. So, I paused it, and finished it this morning before getting out of bed (oh the life of a student, hehe).

The story is told from the perspective of Zorg, an unambitious plumber who starts seeing a local girl named Betty. Betty is wild, and free and very beautiful, and Zorg gets into trouble with his boss after she moves in with him. So, they leave (well, its a bit more dramatic than that, but its half the fun). Before they leave, Betty finds a manuscript of a novel that Zorg wrote a number of years ago, and after moving to the city she begins a crusade to have the book published.

Zorg loves Betty's wild spontaneous nature and you can see he cares very much for her. However, as the film progresses, Betty's wild nature becomes more and more erratic and less predictable, and Zorg begins to worry for her.

This is a very simple story, about two people deeply in love but unable to save each other. Be warned, there is no happy ending here. But it is a painfully real story, told in a simplistic style with great character depth. The acting is superb, and it gets better with each viewing. I highly recommend it to anyone into slightly dark films.