by Mark Murton
Original Title: Les Amants du Pont-Neuf
Directed by: Leos Carax
This review contains a Mild Kitty Carnage Warning!
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!
Synopsis: Alex (Denis Lavant), a homeless addict, and Michele (Juliette Binoche), a young painter with failing eyesight, forge a bond on the streets of Paris and the city’s oldest bridge, the Pont Neuf.
Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): The first time we see Michele she is walking the Paris streets at night with a portfolio of her artwork under her left arm, a plastic bag in her right hand, and a zipped holdall on her right shoulder with the head of her Abyssinian cat “Louisiana” poking out.
She witnesses Alex having his foot run over by a car as he lies high on drink or drugs in the road.
After Alex is patched up and released back onto the streets he heads to his preferred sleeping spot on the Pont-Neuf bridge (which is closed for repairs) but finds it occupied by someone huddled under a blanket. As he approaches he notices a frantic movement under the blanket just below the figure’s waistline (surely not an onanism joke?) and he pulls back the blanket to reveal . . . Louisiana the cat.
As Michele sleeps Alex examines her portfolio and finds a sketch of himself as he looked lying in the road. The next morning he asks her if he can have the picture but she refuses; however, she does ask him to pose for her and they depart the bridge together. They settle by the Sienne and she sketches him as Louisiana sits on the ground between them.
Later Alex steals a fish from a market, and on the bridge that night he prepares the flesh for them while Louisiana is given the head to eat.
Infatuated, Alex follows Michele as she occupies herself during the day, always with her cat in the bag on her shoulder. First he watches as she steals a newspaper.
Then helps herself to some fruit from a market stall.
On another day, Michele is on the travelling walkway on the underground and becomes aware that someone (Alex) is following her. She tries to shake them off, which involves running full pelt through the corridors with the poor cat swinging violently around in the bag on her shoulder.
This is a protracted scene that sees her running in different directions in different parts of the station.
And all the time with the unfortunate cat along for the (very bumpy) ride / run.
As the story progresses Alex and Michele grow closer and spend more time together. After an evening of fireworks and frivolity they return to their spot on the bridge where Louisiana is sitting contentedly on Michele’s red coat.
Michele reaches down and gently strokes Louisiana’s ear. But when Alex approaches the cat hisses at him (the sound of hissing has been dubbed over a simple meow).
After Alex declares his love for Michele they sleep on the grass in a nearby park with Louisiana at their feet.
On another night they sleep naked on a beach with Louisiana snuggled close to Michele.
Later in the story, Alex returns to the bridge with some bottles of drink. He pushes through the gap in the galvanise fence and finds Louisiana waiting for him so gathers her up with one hand and hoists her onto his shoulder.
Mild Kitty Carnage Warning: Upset that Michele isn’t there he starts to drink heavily. Drunk and angry, he screams at Louisiana who tenses and then shoots off as Alex hurls the bottle towards her and it smashes against the stone step just below where she was sitting. [We can only hope that it wasn’t actually meant to hit the cat, and also that they did at least use sugar glass.]
Amazingly, Louisiana didn’t decide to just keep running and does appear again, snuggled up inside Michele’s coat as she fiddles with a radio that Alex found.
Much later (we know this because Alex’s hair has grown) the cat is feeding at Alex’s feet as he and Michele get drunk together.
Final Mewsings: Michele really needed to let the cat out of the bag more often.
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