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With: Marianne Denicourt, Nathalie Richard, Laurence Côte, André Marcon, Bruno Todeschini, Anna Karina
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Written by: Laurence Côte, Marianne Denicourt, Nathalie Richard, Pascal Bonitzer, Christine Laurent, Jacques Rivette
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Directed by: Jacques Rivette
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MPAA Rating: NR
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Language: French, with English subtitles
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Running Time: 170
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Date: 04/12/1995
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Modern Dance
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
Characters in Jacques Rivette's movies have sometimes seemed like they were about to burst into song and dance, but now, in this 1995 delight, they actually do. Up, Down, Fragile (1995) is actually a kind of musical, and even though the first number doesn't occur until just past an hour into the three-hour running time, the movie has a sing-songy quality throughout. (Rivette was a longtime fan of MGM's "backstage" musicals like Stanley Donen's 1953 Give a Girl a Break.) The film follows three women over the course of a Paris summer. Ninon (Nathalie Richard) escapes a dangerous pimp and finds a job as a messenger. (The title refers to markings on packages, but the terms can also apply to the three women.) Louise (Marianne Denicourt) has just emerged from a coma and finds that she has inherited her late aunt's beautiful house. And Ida (Laurence Côte), who was adopted, is trying to find her true identity while starting a job in a university library.
Ninon is a free spirit who loves to dance, but whose penchant for thievery leads to trouble. Louise is concerned about a man (Bruno Todeschini) who seems to be following her. And Ida has become obsessed with finding the origin of an old song she thinks she heard as a child, and which may connect her to her birth mother. They all cross paths with stage set designer Roland (Andre Marcon), and nightclub singer Sarah (Anna Karina). (Rivette himself has a cameo at a hot dog stand.) The film eventually veers into unexpected territory, involving back-room card games that threaten to turn murderous. Anyone expecting polished musical numbers in Up, Down, Fragile will be disappointed, but even the scenes that look awkward or amateurish have a sheer delight to them, a kind of freedom in their lack of polish. It's a film of wandering lightness, like a twirl on a warm afternoon, and it ranks with the director's best.
The Cohen Film Collection released the film in a new restoration on a sparkling Blu-ray for 2023. (See also my review of Rivette's The Gang of Four.) Extras include a commentary track by Richard Peña (Director Emeritus, New York Film Festival & Professor of Film and Media Studies, Columbia University), a trailer, and new subtitles.
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