La bête dans la jungle

Patric Chiha's "The Beast in the Jungle" is one of two adaptations of Henry James's short story released in 2023, alongside Bertrand Bonello's version, simply titled "The Beast". Both films feature top French actresses-Léa Seydoux in Bonello's adaptation and Anaïs Demoustier in Chiha's. I recommend both, though they take remarkably different approaches: Bonello's film delves into the risks of artificial intelligence and critiques incel culture in relation to past masculinities, while Chiha's adaptation adheres closely to the original message, delightfully exploring multiple eras of clubbing. This story resonates personally with me, as a terminally ill friend and old movie buff often quoted its key line in relation to his own life. Increasingly, we find ourselves grappling with loneliness, and James's cautionary tale becomes ever more prescient. A 2018 Ipsos poll revealed that over 54% of Americans sometimes or always feel that no one knows them well. Many remain unmarried and lifelong strangers to love's intimacies. The drama unfolds in an unnamed Parisian nightclub, where we meet May and John, linked by an unusual promise of companionship-he, the sentinel of the space, and she, the soul-flower. The costumes on display are simply fabulous; Demoustier's May is first seen in a dramatically ruffled white shirt topped with an embroidered bolero jacket, evoking the glamour of classic Hollywood. Other memorable outfits include a flouncy organza piece and a boldly minimal jacket that accentuates her figure. The film not only captures the essence of various club vibes but also reflects poignant political and cultural events from the eras depicted. The heartbreaking moment, "Klaus Nomi is dead," transitions into a stunning visual of smoke dissolving, akin to a personality fading-an effect that lingers in the mind. For those unfamiliar, Klaus was a unique performer with a versatile voice, reminiscent of Bowie-a true visitor from another planet. The romantic narrative is thought-provoking but may resonate differently with viewers. Why does John so intently listen to his internal voice? What drives his resistance to deeper companionship? Is it a contemporary equivalent of sacrilege to flout love's imperative? I found myself wondering if autism influences John's behavior; his self-oriented neurology may render him casually disrespectful without awareness. Throughout the film, I hoped he would allow May to gently take his hand and lead him onto the dance floor. In a world increasingly marred by disconnection, the film reminds us to love fully, love wildly, and cherish one another-everything else is for the birds.

Good Austrian film directors do exist in recent years -- Gotz Spielmann is a good example -- but they are a minority, overshadowed by the pseudo-serious, humorless, overpraised, unwatchable majority led by Michael Haneke. _The Beast in the Jungle_, a fairly literal adaptation of a famous Henry James novella, is directed by Patric Chiha, who is firmly in the latter category. A young man John Marcher (Tom Mercier, adopting the Henry James novella character's name) thinks something momentous will happen in his life and spends the next 15 years waiting for it. He goes to a dance club every Saturday but hangs back, seldom joining the dancing. May Bartrum (Anais Demoustier) somehow becomes besotted, perhaps touched by his loneliness, and meets with him every weekend even after she is married to an increasingly jealous Pierre (Martin Vischer). John is a vacuous, self-absorbed specimen unmoved by the most earth-shattering events shown in news-clips throughout the film. The AIDS epidemic, the fall of the Berlin War, the 9/11 attacks in the U. S., Demoustier's out-of-this-world charm come and go, and he is still waiting for Godot. Perhaps he is a metaphor for boring Austrian movie directors? The film would have no reason to exist if it weren't for Demoustier, playing against type (excitable neurotics) as a level-headed old-soul. Still she is vivacious enough on the dance-floor to seduce anyone -- but John simply wouldn't dance with her, or give her a kiss. Dancing is a metaphor for life in the heavily stylized film. Chiha probably gets his inspiration from Claire Denis's _Beau Travail_ and Gaspar Noe's _Climax_, although the monotone techno music and dance moves (surely anachronistic for the 80s?) only succeed in making everyone look like zombies. Another influence may be Wong Kar-Wai's _In the Mood for Love_, with mostly indoor locations, elaborate period garments, saturated colors, and focus on the heroine's shoes. The comparison doesn't flatter Chiha's film, unfortunately; the historical specificity isn't there, and _Beast_ can really use a brilliant coda, a sense of rupture (or rapture) seen at the end of _In the Mood_. Beatrice Dalle relieves the monotony somewhat as the narrator and dresses up as some kind of witch, guardian of time's passage, or Queen of the North. Otherwise Demoustier has to carry the film for her bland costar and boring director, and even her magnetic charm isn't enough this time.

Awful movie: no plot, boring, a total waste of time. Please don't throw in the garbage an hour and a half of your precious life. I never saw of movie this bad before in my life. Couldn't wait for the ens credits to run out of theater. The director deceives us in believing there will be something interesting but there is not. The shooting of the movie is always in the same place. The actors are bad, one of the main characters doesn't even speak proper French. There were no make artistic, over a period of time people have to age, and that has to show. Please don't waste your precious and hardly earned money with this.

Bon film !

Bon film !

Bon film !