Les Secrets des Banquises (April, 26)

The first thought on my mind at the end of Arctic Heart (Les Secrets des Banquises) was: what a trash. I couldn't believe in such a cheesy nonsense. I turned off the TV, went to bed, and was then surrounded by many other thoughts.

French comedy is a really risky business. It is not for everyone, and not all of them are truly funny. Those who are successful on their endeavor, are memorable. The ones that attempt to fit the current American comedies, are weird and confusing, as this film.

I have many ideas about the possible "messages" here (note: really good movies transcend the notion of an specific message, because they are so much bigger than that, similar to life). The shared love for science that unites a secluded scientist and a grad student intern. The idea of many academic geniuses that science is something apart from life, therefore they must isolate themselves in their researches and labs (this notion seems extreme, but she is an ordinary scenery, even if less of a caricature than Professeur Quignard). The perception that those people only are themselves when literally submerged in their subjects... I'm sure there's an ulterior message here connected to the penguins, I wasn't able to get it. Well, I think not one of that would be enough to justify such an weird endeavor. And I wanted so badly to like this movie.

I love Antarctica, it is a dream destination for me (Iceland too... there's a fascination for the opposite icy pole here). And I love Guillaume Cannet since Last Night. In this movie, he has an odd similarity to McDreamy, I kept mixing both - I was really sleepy. That was, btw, the reason I reached this movie (it was easy, short, looked a light entertainment), and it was not a happy choice. Even if I don't hate it, cheesy endings and all. 

I should have payed more attention to the one star on the Netflix ratings.

Les Secrets des Banquises. Directed and written by Marie Madinier. Cast: Charlotte
Le Bon, Guillaume Cannet, Anne Le Ny. France/Belgium, 2016, Color, 81 min. (Netflix).