A French Epic With a Timeless Story to Tell

Read Time:2 Minute, 36 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Lost Illusions (Illusions perdues)
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Genre: Drama, History, Romance
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 2h 29m
Director(s): Xavier Giannoli
Writer(s): Jacques Fieschi (adaptation,) Xavier Giannoli (adaptation,) Yves Stavrides (collaboration)
Cast: Benjamin Voisin, Cécile de France, Vincent Lacoste, Xavier Dolan
Where To Watch: opens in NY and LA on June 10th, with a national expansion to follow.

While this may be a bit much for the casual American movie fan (a two-and-a-half-hour French film is something that the general public may struggle with.) However, if you’re willing to stretch your imagination and are okay with a slow burn, then I would feel okay recommending this beautifully crafted epic. While occasionally the “story” being told can feel like it drags, the film as a whole actively keeps your attention throughout.

I’ve always been amazed by set designs and costumes of period pieces, and this is no exception to the rule. The sets were everything you would dream of regarding what these picturesque locations would be. Equally as important, the costumes were also accurate to the film's feelings. I think it would be hard to make a modern movie feel like it belongs; I can’t imagine making a film believably feel like it was shot and takes place in another time altogether.

The irony is that the film takes place in the early 19th century but has some timely topics worldwide regarding how the press is handled and their “freedom” being explored. I’ve seen some negatively commenting on those nods to the present being less than subtle, but I think that was an intentional decision (which I’m okay with.) There are things that we should all be talking about, and as art imitates life, we need to bring important topics to the surface for discussion.

The cast was fantastic, while I was only immediately familiar with Gérard Depardieu (THE LAST METRO) and Cécile de France (AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS.) I was excited to see Vincent Lacoste, who stared in one of the Cannes films I was lucky enough to screen, THE GREEN PERFUME. That’s the great thing, though, when a cast you’re unfamiliar with can carry a film, you can truly dive into it without thinking, “this person was in that movie.”

There were quite a few reviews that knocked the narration of the film, I hadn’t thought about it while watching it, but after thinking about it, I appreciated that aspect. I thought it gave the film a unique feel that let it tell a story in two very different ways simultaneously without feeling clunky.

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