This is a strange and remarkable film. Any attempt to categorize this film would be a no-win game. It's funny, sad, disturbing, dark, poignant, weird and fantastic. With a story-book quality both narratively and visually, the film reveals the bleak reality of a young boy's life through his stunning and perverted dream-like fantasies. Although made by Canadian Director Jean-Claude Lauzon, Leolo reminds me of many of the bizarre, deeply twisted and beautiful films that come out of France (such as Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children). The mix of social commentary with surreal events and images makes for a truly exciting movie-watching experience. I fear, however, that this film is not for everyone. It is perverse at times and can certainly make you feel very uncomfortable. But, that said, Jean-Claude Lauzon utilizes every aspect of filmmaking with such finesse that it heightens all of our senses and truly takes us on an emotional, thoughtful and beautifully unsettling journey.
What I Liked Best
This is such an original film. It makes you feel uncomfortable and fascinated at the same time, as it doesn't shy away from exploring very real (and often very cruel) emotions and events. Wrapped in the beauty of the fantasy world of a young boy, this film has a certain vulnerability to it that seduces you to keep watching. At it's deepest level, Leolo is a social commentary about mental health. Without giving too much away, Jean-Claude Lauzon is commenting on the techniques utilized in mental institutions to dull people's senses,
or to erase the emotions and thoughts that make them "crazy". For his audience, he is challenging us to feel the emotions and think the thoughts through his images, however repulsive or sexy or sad or funny they may be - because the alternative is to be lifeless, without thought or feeling. That's not to say that you have to find everything in the film enthralling, and that you can't feel disgusted. But what I loved so much about this film is it's originality and unflinching ability to depict the breadth of a young, poor boy's inner and outer life.
I am the first to admit that I am a sucker for the bizarre and fantastical. Leolo is brilliantly strange. From a woman who conceives a child from a sperm-covered tomato to a body-builder sitting in an arm chair rhythmically lifting blocks of concrete with his feet - Leolo is curiously funny and exceptionally inventive. The characters are all a bit over-the-top, with perhaps the exception of our main character, and the visual style of the film jumps from deep, saturated colors to moody lighting to grey flatness. All of this, along with Lauzon's spot-on direction, gives Leolo that story-book feel - where things are both real and surreal. While we are always keenly aware that we are being guided through a tall tale, the stark reality portrayed in the film gives it poignancy and human depth.
Finally, I have to mention the score of the film. It, like the film, is weird and does not conform to what we would usually expect to find on a film soundtrack. The film starts with the monotonous and eerie drone of Tibetan monks chanting and then launches into romantic Italian love songs, a bunch of Tom Waits, The Rolling Stones and some French songs. It's surprising, strange and delightful. It's perfect for the film.
What I Didn't Like
There were some scenes that took place in Leolo's dream's of Italy. These scenes were shot with a certain ethereal quality to them, although they kind of came across as washed out and a bit too cheesy for my taste. For such a well-crafted and visually exciting film, I found these scenes to be a disappointment and they took me out of the moment. Accompanied by the cheesiest Italian music I've ever heard (and I've heard quite a bit), the scenes took on a soap-opera-like quality. They teetered on being bizarre enough to fit in in the context of the rest of the film, but, unfortunately, just missed the mark.
Would I Recommend it?
It is a shame that Lauzon died tragically at such at early age, because he was quite an original and amazing filmmaker. If you can appreciate the beauty of the film and embrace the meaning behind some of the more difficult moments to watch, I strongly recommend this film.
Jean-Claude Lauzon: director
Jean-Claude Lauzon: writers
Maxime Collin, Ginette Reno, Julien Guiomar, Pierre Bourgault : cast
107m: running time
french (english subtitles): language
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