76. If It Were Love ( Si c'était de l'amour); movie review

 

 

IF IT WERE LOVE ( SI C'ÉTAIT DE L'AMOUR)

Cert TBA

82 mins

BBFC advice: TBA

For fully five minutes, a bald middle-aged bloke sprays what could be either water or disinfectant over five individuals who appear to be wearing leather jackets.

There is no explanation, no conversation and no obvious reason for him doing so.

And that is just the beginning of If It Were Love.

The following 20 minutes comprise a group of young people being given a lesson in slow-motion/robotic dance.

Now I can't say that looking at lithe bodies was unpleasant but it was a bit of a waste of time.

Then we move on to two dancers describing how they are going to perform their parts in what we are left to presume is an upcoming production.

It grates on me that directors of films such as If It Were Love should simply assume audiences are on the same page.

Honestly, I hadn't a clue what was going on.

Therefore, I reached for the publicity material supporting Patric Chiha's work which states that "Crowd, Gisèle Vienne’s extraordinary play, is at the centre of the film."

I have not heard of the play but If It Were Love seems freewheeling to me.

The press blurb adds: "It questions in a magnificent way the act of partying, love and how our emotions transform our perception of time. "

What on earth does that mean?

To me, it was made up of random conversations between dancers about the characters they were playing in the performance for which they were rehearsing.

And somehow this is meant to be linked to rave culture.

But, to my mind, it isn't really a film at all because there is no storyline.

Reasons to watch: If you are immersed in the world of performance dance

Reasons to avoid: It isn't really a film

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 2/10

Did you know? Born in Vienna in 1975, Patric Chiha studied fashion design in Paris, then editing at INSAS school in Brussels. He lives and works in Paris.

The final word. Patric Chiha: "Gisèle and how she works, particularly with the dancers, taught me a great deal about my relation towards my own craft: her way of making meaning emerge from the body when you decide to surrender yourself, to forget yourself, how it allows for the unexpected to appear but also for life to be seen."

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