Silk (2007) Reviews

• A Nutshell Review: Silk

  DICK STEEL2007-11-18

  If Fate would have it, I would have the opportunity to go to Tokyo for this year's Japanese International Film Festival, and watched this as the closing film. Initially I had mixed this up with Atonement, also starring Keira Knightley in a period romance story, except that this one had shades of The Last Samurai thrown in, with the love triangle moments with the involvement of a Japanese girl. Based on the novel by Alessandro Baricco, Silk takes its name from the Silk trade, where a French village looks to having its economy hit, if not for Alfred Monlina's Baldabiou who ventures into opening a silk mill and employing the townsfolk. However, in need of untainted silkworm eggs, free from an epidemic striking Europe, he sends overseas one of his staff Herve Joncour (Michael Pitt), whom is indebted to him for arranging his marriage with Knightley's Helene, and off he goes on the arduous journey first to Africa, then to the land of the rising sun, now in the impending stage of internal strife. The journeys are probably the best bits in the movie, with lush landscapes filling the screen in all serenity of the turmoils that are yet to come. I thought director Francois Girard tried to ape Terence Mallick's direction, with lush natural beauty punctuated with voice over narration of the character's inner-most thoughts. We learn a lot of what's going on in Herve's mind, as he tells us the story of his being, and the conflict he faces when he gets tempted to committing adultery, never forgetting about his tryst overseas when back home he has a lovely wife to go home to. While the movie has that central conflict that provides the fuel to propel the movie forward, somehow it never gets utilized, having the story and characters dance around on the sidelines of the issue, never to take it head on. This adds to the frustration of watching the deliberations that they have, made worse as the movie chooses to unfold itself extremely slowly, taking too much of its own sweet time. Fans of Keira Knightley would have watched this movie solely to see her performance after the Pirates double bill, but sadly, even though she's given top billing, her screen time is limited, as the spotlight falls on Michael Pitt's Herve and we are told of this story through his eyes. What adds to the annoyance as well, is that the movie is sans English subtitles. Having it set in France but the characters speaking in English is understandable (after all, Pitt is American and Knightley is English), but having the Japanese speak in their native tongue, and not providing the subtitles, removes a layer that would have provided probably a deeper understanding of the movie. Yes, granted we are supposed to feel the pain of Herve in his inability to connect with the people and the one he loves, but I don't feel that this should be done at the expense of understanding, especially for non-Japanese speaking folks. However, despite its obvious flaws, the movie redeems itself with a powerful end, packing quite a punch especially when you think it's headed nowhere and probably into mediocrity. Suddenly you discover that things are again not always what they seem, and wonder just who the bigger fool is. But the bottomline, if there's a message to be taken away from this movie, is again never to give in to temptation, and truly treasure your loved ones. Tried and tested, clichéd but true.

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• A very intimate story

  harry_tk_yung2007-11-03

  Although the story involves several journeys half way across the globe, it is nowhere near an epic tale of broad sweep. While the action (actually bad choice of word) takes place in two places, the protagonist's home town in France and a village in Japan, the journey in between is handled with brevity, just something that needs to be covered but not dwelled on. What we have is a very intimate story of when happens to the protagonist in these two places, or, to make it even more intimate, what happened in the MIND of the protagonist. I'll come back to this. The plot is actually quite simple. A somewhat undistinguished young man in a small town in 19th century France (English is the proxy language for the movie) falls in love and marries an attractive young woman. At the same time, he becomes, quite unintentionally, a trader commissioned by a silk manufacturer to go to Japan to buy the best quality silk-worm eggs (to ensure that they will not be infected before hedging). Right away, you can see the dramatic elements – risks of financial disaster, political intrigues (in Japan), risks if personal safety. While all of these are used in the movie, they are not what the movie is about. The story, told entirely through voice over of the protagonist Herve, is about an intimate emotional inside his mind. (At the end, we find that there is an actual audience who is, however, quite inconsequential to the story). Except for a livelihood that takes him away for a couple of month each year, there seems nothing lacking in Herve's life. He has grown rich through the trade. His lovely wife Helene is understanding and loving. It is indeed a setback that they have not been able to have any children but they have learned to live with it. But then, the journeys to Japan has given rise to something deeply disturbing, an infatuation with a mysterious young woman that soon turns into an obsession, an obsession to such an extent that it begins to gnaw his soul even when he is back home. (Additional spoiler warning) Many people have expressed dissatisfaction with the movie's apparent failure to explain many things about this mysterious woman in Japan. But towards the end of the movie, it will gradually dawn on you that this movie have little to do with what happens in Japan, and a lot to do with what happens back home. The one twist close to the end (which can almost be described as a delightful surprise) makes it all too clear. What we are dealing with the whole time is what happens in Herve's mind, and there, the mysterious Japanese woman could very well be a figment of his imagination. The vote seems unanimous that Michael Pitt who plays Herves is the weakest link. He sleepwalks and murmurs through the movie as if his is playing the main character of Dicken's last, unfinished novel "The mystery of Edwin Drood" (someone who is in an opium hallucination half the time). I appreciate that he is trying to portrayed Herves as imagined by the author (of the book) and screenwriter. But he has not been successful. The rest of the cast, fortunately, is redeeming. Keira Knightley does not seem too impressive, until towards the end. Then, you begin to see why she was selected for the role Helene, who has more than meets the eyes. Alfred Molina adds more to the role of the trade manufacturer than it would suggest, as he always does with any role he plays. Koji Yakusho, probably the best known Japanese actor today to anyone who follows the Japanese cinema (not Hollywood Japanese), plays the nobleman who trades with Herves. A delightful surprise is seeing Miki Nakatani who played the young woman Hermes in Densha Otoko (Train man) (2005). In "Silk", she is the enchanting Madame Blanche who translates the Japanese letter for Herves. There are some fine cinematography in Silk, in both the snow-bound Japanese landscape and the hauntingly beautiful forest Herve's hometown.

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• The worms

  jotix1002009-08-09

  Herve Joncour, a young man in France, fresh from the army, receives a proposal he cannot refuse: he must go to Japan to collect silk worms and bring them to France where the silk industry has been dying because of a plague that has affected them. Before he undertakes the trip to the East, he marries the beautiful woman he loves, Helene. Since the action takes place in the middle of the XIX century, such an endeavor was not without its risks. When Herve gets to Japan, he encounters an exotic place where he is made to go blindfolded to an unknown area searching for the worms. As he deals with the ruthless man that is key to selling the treasure to bring back, he meets a mysterious woman who captures his imagination and gets the best of him. Since they don't exchange a word, Herve's mind is full of her exotic beauty. He returns to France and becomes rich from the silk that is produced using the worms he has brought back. Helene, has waited for him, but her only regret is that she never conceives a child to make her complete. Herve has no problem adapting himself to the duplicity within his heart. On the second trip to Japan, Herve receives a note from the woman that dominates his thoughts. Since it's written in Japanese characters, he has no way of knowing what she meant. For that, he must secure the help of a Madame of a house of ill repute in Lyons. The message, when is read by the lady confounds him completely. What is he to make out of the strange message? Something happened to Alessandro Baricco's novel "Silk" on the way to the movies. The novel, one of the best narratives by the author, was a pleasure to read. The screen adaptation by its director Francois Girard and Michael Golding, is not as poetic as this team probably intended to. Where the book felt almost like a poem, the film doesn't do the same for us, who have admired Mr. Baricco's work. It deserved better. The problem appears to be in the casting the role of Herve. Michael Pitt mumbles most of his way throughout the film. His take on the character is what, in our humble opinion, derails the film. This part needed someone who could make the viewer believe Herve's passion going on in his head, but unfortunately, being because of Mr. Girard's direction, or Mr. Pitt's inability to make Herve come alive, one doesn't get that impression. Kira Knightly has a small role as Helene. Ms. Knightly doesn't show much chemistry with Mr. Pitt, thus their scenes feel flat. Sei Ashina, who is seen as the object of desire, gives the right tone to her performance. Alfred Molina appears as the sponsor of Herve. The best thing in the film is the cinematography of Alain Dostie, who photograph the beautiful backgrounds with loving care. Visually, the film will please the viewer going without having read the novel. The Japanese and Italian natural settings worked miracles for a film that shows almost no substance.

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• Watch till the end...give it a chance...

  mmp60412008-04-10

  I also can understand why a person may not like this movie. However, if you can truly appreciate the goal and the direction of the director's vision than you should like it. The scenery and music added depth and meaning to the story. I think there should have been Japanese subtitles so as to not lose the audience's attention and interest. I was left wanting more. I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I wanted the plot to be a bit more "spicy". But i can appreciate the director and writer's vision of the movie. This is a good movie to watch when you want to relax and mellow out. The ending was the best part of the movie. There was a bit of a twist which added meaning and understanding. Even though i wanted things to be a bit more spicy the end of the movie justified the lack of it.

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• Slow but worth the wait.

  vagabondjonson2008-03-24

  This movie was very good. I know a lot of reviewers were bored and didn't like that there wasn't subtitles for the Japanese. Admittedly the issue with the subtitles would have made the movie easier to understand. In the middle of the movie there is some confusion about what exactly has transpired between Pitt and his Japanese contact and why the initial interlude between Pitt and the Japanese concubine occurs in the first place but these don't seem to be so dear to the plot that you can't remain in the dark and still get the point of the movie. The landscape is breathtaking, the acting was great by every member of the supporting cast. I like Michael Pitt, but it seems like he can only play one character and it's the throaty sensitive guy. I was surprised that Keira Knightley took such a minor role but the punch at the end gives her character quite a bit of intrigue. As always she is wonderful and I liked Alfred Molina as well. The cinematography was good and understated. The script was simple and it didn't seem like they wasted any words. Quite the opposite in fact. I understand why others didn't like it but I get the impression that this is due to a lack of patience on their part. Good movie. Try it out.

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