Louise

This is a short film about voyeurism and obsession. As the title suggests, the main subject is Louise (Léa Fidaleo), the object of Jean’s (Nino Rota Graziosi) lust. Jean and his neighbour Matthieu (Arthur Hanguehard), who lives opposite, take pleasure in secretly filming the sexual exploits of Jean and the unknowing females that enter his Bedroom. The dialogue is all in French with English subtitles.

The topic is extremely concerning, as we are seeing women being exploited in front of the male gaze. Louise is the only woman who comes back; many have left. The main focus of the videos, however, is Jean, and it appears that this is what Matthieu really wants to see.

There are multiple sex scenes throughout, although the nudity is kept to a minimum. The scenes are often dark, so it is not always easy to see what is happening. On most occasions, it appears that this is by design. I do like the way that the audience never really sees Matthieu’s face. It is almost like the director wants the audience to be in the dark, just like Louise is. I think this is a clever move.

The relationship between Jean and Matthieu is strained by the end of the film, and Matthieu doesn’t appreciate Louise’s presence and seems jealous of her. The focus is on Louise, but the story is really about the relationship between the two male characters. I really think this could have been shown more on film, and the audience would have benefited from seeing how this arrangement came about. We never really know who these men are and how their relationship developed. To enter into such actions must not have been a light decision, and no doubt this was an idea developed over time. I think it is important to know more to make sense of what is happening.

The scenes between Jean and Matthieu are the best parts of this film, particularly as the relationship derails. Quite often, the audience gets to hear Matthieu rather than see him, and this works well; you can really sense Matthieu’s emotions without seeing him, which is not easy to do. I felt the scenes between Louise and Jean were often a bit forced and over the top. The dialogue about Louise’s breast milk was particularly strange, and I'm not sure what the point was. I think more explanation of Louise and Jean's relationship would have helped. The audience gets a glimpse of emotion between Louise and Jean, but there could have been a lot more.

Throughout the film, there is a simplistic score where a few piano notes are played over and over. I think this was introduced to build tension, but at times it became quite annoying. It was like a score from an old horror, and although the actions of the two men are horrific, it just didn’t really work.

Overall, this is a film that doesn’t really develop, although there is just about enough story to keep the audience engaged. There is not enough character development throughout, which leaves the film lacking. The subject is really unpleasant, and the fact that the women are unaware they are being filmed raises a lot of moral questions. I don’t think this film was made to address the morality of the situation, and it certainly doesn’t try to explain how it came to be. There isn’t enough story to allow the audience to work it out for themselves, and this is often what film is about.