Carmen

Benjamin Millepied has made a successful transition from dancer and choreographer to director, revisiting Prosper Mérimée's 1845 novel Carmen. The original story was set in Spain and centered around the character of Carmen, a seductive Andalusian bohemian. The story, which was adapted for opera by Georges Bizet and for film by various directors (the best-known version is Francesco Rosi's 1984 version starring Julia Migenes-Johnson), perfectly combines the themes of passion, jealousy, crime and tragic destiny. It's easy to see why Carmen holds such an important place in Benjamin Millepied's heart, as he sees it as a way to bring his consuming passion for dance to the silver screen, and also as a way to launch his career as a director after helping to create Darren Aronofsky's excellent film Black Sawn (2010), for which he was principal choreographer. Benjamin Millepied has given authenticity and credibility to the representation of the world of classical dance on film. He worked closely with actresses Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis, helping them to prepare physically and master the dance moves required for their roles.

To avoid repeating the story of Carmen, Benjamin Millepied enlisted the help of screenwriters Alexander Dinelaris Jr and Loïc Barrère to write a script. The film is set in Mexico and the United States (Los Angeles), and introduces us to a young Mexican girl named Carmen (Melissa Barrera, seen in Scream (2022) and Scream VI (2023)) who, after her mother's murder, decides to leave her Mexican hometown and head for Los Angeles. Unfortunately, she runs into an American patrol that gives chase. Her only saving grace is Aidan (Paul Mescal, seen in Aftersun (2023)), a young ex-Marine who saves her life by killing one of his own. These two tragic lovers will have to flee and drive to Los Angeles, avoiding the police and taking refuge for a while with Carmen's aunt, Masilda (Rossy de Palma), who runs a bar that is also a modern dance club. By using dance as a means of communication, expression and rebellion from the very first frames of the film, Carmen establishes itself as a truly intense and memorable cinematic experience. Nicholas Britell's striking score adds a very special aura to the film, making it a timeless work in which the director, like a painter, delivers intense and remarkable paintings.

Yet this version of Carmen, despite its sumptuous dance numbers, has a few flaws, as is often the case with first films, starting with a pace that may be too slow to please everyone, and above all lacks the energetic direction that Baz Luhrmann infuses into his films. Even if the story is carried by talented actors such as Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal, it lacks an epic breath of fresh air and a more coherent vision, so as not to be merely a vain exercise in style.  Yet Benjamin Millepied's camerawork and Nicholas Britell's musical score illuminate seemingly ordinary scenes and reveal their modern beauty. However, these moments are fleeting and often thwarted by a clumsy script.

It's easy to understand the director's desire to advocate an experimental form of cinema, creating an atmospheric dreamscape with striking visuals and evocative music. However, these artistic elements don't always harmonize with the obvious narrative and underdeveloped characters, resulting in a loss of pace and relevance. Some will applaud the bewitching, sumptuous dance numbers, while others will find it hard to get into this film that rejects the classicism of today's cinema.

Both actors are perfect in this film, and Melissa Barrera is to be commended for her formidable presence and determined, perfect performance. She lights up the screen with her mesmerizing beauty and, following the success of the last two Screams, confirms that she has a broad palette for her art. She also has a bewitching voice, particularly during one scene when she sings Tu y Yo with all her fragility. Paul Mescal is also excellent in this film, but his performance is overshadowed by Melissa Barrera, who alone deserves to be discovered. However, thanks to an imperfect script, their characters lack depth and vulnerability, making it difficult to fully invest oneself in their story. The best moments of the film are the numerous dance sequences, which are arguably the film's strongest moments, with sophisticated numbers and a remarkable performance by Melissa Barrera. However, the director concentrates more on the dance and abandons the narrative conventions that seem to hamper the film.

Benjamin Millepied's Carmen, despite its imperfect storytelling, has enough striking artistic elements to make it a must-see at the cinema.  Despite transcendent moments and solid performances, Carmen doesn't reach its full potential, letting a certain imperfection slip through the cracks. The fact remains that this is an original, spellbinding first film that we can only encourage you to make up your own mind about.

Carmen
Directed by Benjamin Millepied
Screenplay by Alexander Dinelaris Jr, Loïc Barrère, Benjamin Millepied
Story by Benjamin Millepied, Loïc Barrère
Produced by Mimi Valdès, Dimitri Rassam, Rosemary Blight
Starring Melissa Barrera, Paul Mescal, Rossy de Palma, Tracy "The DOC" Curry
Cinematography : Jörg Widmer
Edited by Dany Cooper
Music by Nicholas Britell
Production companies: Chapter 2, Goalpost Pictures, TF1 Studio, France 2 Cinéma, Marvelous Productions
Distributed by Pathé Distribution (France), Sony Pictures Classics (United States), Madman Films (Australia)
Release dates : 11 September 2022 (TIFF), 21 April 2023 (United States), 14 June 2023 (France)
Running time : 117 minutes

Viewed June 8, 2023 at Pathe Wepler

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