Au Revoir là-haut (See You Up There)

Over the years, french filmmaker Albert Dupontel has gained quite a respectable fame for his clever screenplays full of dark humor, and his experimental use of camera and aesthetics. Yet, he is far from being considered a master of filmmaking of any sort, like Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Michael Gondry (even if both of them have delivered very forgettable films in the past few years), directors that have a similar style to his. Au Revoir Là-Haut might be the film that changes this if it manages to reach the right audience.

The story of two former soldiers that after World War I decide to stage a fraud with war memorials is quite a clever criticism of war as a business and the way that powerful men send others to die for their privileges. But his storytelling charges against corrupt social structures in quite a joyous way, with humor that lights the dark themes with a good dose of fantasy details (Amélie-style).

The characters are entirely charming, and charged with such a theatrical energy that the actors are able to explode their gestures and expressions in delightful ways. Special recognition deserves Nahuel Pérez-Biscayart, the young actor who last year surprised us with an emotional and rich performance in 120 Battements par Minute, and now has the chance to play a young soldier that gets his face disfigured in war, so hiding under a mask, is only able to communicate through gestures and grunts. Biscayart takes the best opportunities offered by this limitations to explode his acting talents: his eyes and his body are fully expressive and powerful enough to create subtle nuances in his over-the-top performance. Could we be in front of the next acting legend in French Cinema?

And to support his amusing story and remarkable characters, Dupontel makes his camera a tool for storytelling: it flies, jumps, and is in constant movement to create rhythm and immerse us in the world he has created. Uncommon angles and movements, with a perfect use of textures and color make the cinematography one of the most remarkable we've seen this year so far. But it is the attention to detail in the costumes, art direction, and make up what allows such a visual impact in every single shot of the film.

If any, the only problem with this film is the excess on the number of sub-plots presented that can make our attention divert from the main story, but they are all managed in such a delightful way, that we end up don't minding the elongation. This is, unequivocally, Dupontel's masterpiece (to date), a passionate show of his talents as a visual storyteller, and an eccentric, but very tasteful film that will enchant every kind of audience, if they manage to find a marketable way to sell it.