Review: L’Age des Tenebres

L’AGE
DES TENEBRES
(The Age of
Ignorance)
Directed by: Denys
Arcand

Starring: Marc Labreche, Diane
Kruger, Rufus Wainwright…

PLOT: In an
attempt to escape the miserable reality of his insignificant and
failed life, Jean-Marc uses his vivid imagination to delve into an
idealistic dreamland in which he transforms into various heroic
characters and has beautiful women at his disposal.
As his life continues to fall apart, he builds the courage to
eventually resist his dream temptations and face the hopeful reality
of a new life.

CRITIQUE:
Bizarre, imaginative, twisted yet sympathetically amusing are the
first thoughts that spring to mind with the premiere of Arcand’s
newest film in

Cannes

. Critically acclaimed for previous films such as THE BARBARIAN
INVASIONS, JESUS OF MONTREAL and THE DECLINE OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE,
L’AGE DES TENEBRES paints a bleak picture of a regular Joe
Schmoe’s monotonous, intolerable and gloomy life. The film is
diverted from realistically depressing scenarios to humorous
absurdity with Jean-Marc’s active imagination and escapism. He
takes refuge in his fantasy world when his life goes awry. The film
has an incomprehensible and perverse start but becomes progressively
coherent with the reappearance of Jean-Marc’s fantasy ladies and
reoccurrence of daydreams.

Although
he can easily be dismissed as a pathetic pervert, the depiction of
Jean-Marc’s misery and despair ultimately evoke a sense of empathy
for the character. His problems as a failed father with an
insignificant job, loveless marriage and dying mother, culminate in
a series of sexual fantasies involving a lesbian coworker, beautiful
actress, sexy journalist and domineering boss.
In his dreams, he imagines himself as an actor, politician,
he book author and most bizarrely, a knight.
It’s only when his wife finally decides to skip town, that
he realizes that it’s time to face the music and get a grip on his
unrealistic fantasies, which no longer suffice the temporary escape
from his melancholic life.

Arcand
paints an unusual but painfully realistic picture of a typically
unhappy person feeling lost, hopeless and trapped. Whereas some
people may resort to an alternate, not-so-innocent solution to find
temporary happiness, Jean-Marc’s approach is harmless. His
indecisive sexual fantasies never reach a climactic point and there
are plenty of slapstick moments teetering between strange and funny.

Labreche
is a famous Quebecois TV star whose average Joe looks work very well
for the part. Diane Kruger is the beautiful actress in Jean-Marc’s
daydreams and Sylvie Leonard is perfectly cast as his controlling,
workaholic wife. There are
several comical performances by the supporting cast including the
part of a singing poet played by Rufus Wainwright. Alternating
between reality and fantasy sequences, the film wraps up nicely,
succeeding in scrutinizing our Western world’s ethics, morality
tainted by unrealistic expectations, corruption and boredom.
Although the film had a weak start, I found myself pleasantly
surprised with its comprehensible finish. It was comical, creative
and disheartening.

— 6/10