Arnaud Desplechin‘s “Oh, Mercy!” (aka Roubaix, une lumiere) was an unexceptional police procedural — a pilot episode for “C.S.I Roubaix” as many critics have called it. A real shame since I absolutely love Desplechin. Then again, his last two films, also counting “Ismail’s Ghosts” have been absolute failures. At some point I really wasn’t sure if this was a serious statement from Desplechin or if he was actually pulling an all-time of a joke on us.
This is my final day of screenings today, unless I decide to go ahead and watch an 8:30am of Justine Triet’s “Sibyl” tomorrow. On tap are two films with the highest of potential. Abdelatif Kechiche’s “Mektoub: Intermezzo” which is said to be a near four-hour film taking place in dance clubs, which is supposed to have a 25 minute cunnilingus scene and Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor,” a Godfather-style Italian epic. Some feel-good cinema ahead in the next 24 hours.