What You Think You Saw, You Did Not See

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MOVIE REVIEW
Hold Me Tight
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Genre: Drama
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 37m
Director(s): Mathieu Amalric
Writer(s): Claudine Galea (play "Je reviens de loin",) Mathieu Amalric (scenario)
Cast: Vicky Krieps, Arieh Worthalter, Anne-Sophie Bowen-Chatet, Sacha Ardilly, Juliette Benveniste, AureÌ€le Grzesik, AureÌlia Petit, Erwan Ribard, Samuel Mathieu, Cuca BanÌƒeresflos
Where To Watch: Opening on September 9 in Chicago at the Gene Siskel Film Center

If you don’t know who Vicky Krieps (PHANTOM THREAD, OLD) is, I recommend checking out some of her films, specifically PHANTOM THREAD. She’s an absolute powerhouse that can carry a movie on her charisma and depth of character alone. I was immediately drawn to the film when I saw her name, and I’m glad I was.

The film seemed to have a bottomless pool of talent for the cast; even though I hadn’t heard of the majority of them, they all seemed to give great performances that added to the film. The film is a drama but not a slow-burn “boring” experience. Those aren’t my words; many people say slow burn as if it is the ultimate negative for a film. If done well, I think a slow burn can be one of the best devices in storytelling.

Director Mathieu Amalric could have quickly taken a straightforward approach to the content and made this a long melodrama about the struggles in the film. Instead, we are presented with a mystery we don’t know about. Instead, you’re living through the movie as the pieces ultimately come together.

While you think you’re following the story, there are just as many things you can remain uncertain about as we progress through the movie. Interestingly, Krieps's character Clarisse is portrayed so that you don’t know what to believe. Along with the subconscious of not knowing what’s going on, we’re also given the film's musical score, which contributes to the movie's pacing on and off the screen.

I feel the intentional confusion caused by the film is both positive and negative. While it was an exciting addition, I think it stole a little of its thunder in the end.

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