Directed by and Starring Agnes Varda & JR. (2017/89 min).
Though
nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Oscars, Faces Places doesn't seem like it would have much of a chance of winning.
Not because it isn't worthy, but the film isn't about a dead
musician, criminal injustice or a dark chapter in recent history.
Instead, Face Places is a cute, disarming and ultimately
heartfelt chronicle of a road-trip taken by Agnes
Varda & JR, who also directed the film. They embark on a journey through
France, plastering their unique brand of photographic art on
abandoned homes, railroad cars, barns, stone ruins...anywhere it can
be appreciated - however temporarily - by the locals.
Varda
is an 83-year-old filmmaker who first gained fame as part of the
French New Wave movement and still revered for her visual style. JR
is a young photographer/street artist who appears to
specialize in mural-sized portraits. This veritable odd couple have a
mutual respect for each other and the people they choose as subjects for their art. They visit a
wide variety of locations, from inner cities to rural farms to
coastal villages, shooting those who live or work there, then blowing
up the photos to massive proportions and creatively pasting them in
places which best represent the community.
 |
| This unfortunate gentleman is about to discover not everyone in the neighborhood enjoys the luxury of indoor plumbing. |
The
results are visually impressive, often haunting, but that's only part
of this story. Faces Places is also about the people they
encounter in their travels. We learn about their pasts, their
families, how their chosen occupations have influenced or directed
their lives. Especially interesting - occasionally quite moving - are
their reactions to the art they've become part of. Episodically
presented, we spend a short time with each individual or group before moving
on to another location...and another story. My personal favorite segments
are the amusing visit to some goat farms and a poignant story of an
old woman who's the last resident of a tract neighborhood scheduled
for demolition.
 |
| Agnes and JR search The Louvre for Dogs Playing Poker. |
The
one constant is the relationship between Agnes and JR, who don't have
a master plan beyond hitting the road and seeing what happens. Though
technically a documentary, Faces Places plays like a road
movie with these two as the central characters, and we learn much
about them during the trip (especially, Agnes, who seems
somewhat melancholy, despite always appearing in good spirits). They
are genuinely likable and appear to grow closer to each other during
the course of the film. This culminates in a surprisingly emotional climax
that's truly touching.
I'd love to see these two defy the odds and the stage on Oscar night to
receive a statue. Faces Places tells a sweet,
visually-arresting story that's as captivating as any fictional
"personal journey" film that comes to mind. This is a small winner all-around.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
FEATURETTE:
"Chance is the Best Assistant: Agnes Varda and JR on Faces
Places" (interview with the filmmakers); "Music" (a
feature on composer Matthieu Chedid).
"LETTERS"
and "CABIN" (essentially two deleted scenes)
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
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