Reviews of "Le Combat Dans L'Ile" and "Gogol Bordello Non-Stop" now at the Hollywood (Nov. 27)

Le Combat Dans L’ile (French, 1962)
Director: Alain Cavalier
With: Romy Schneider, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Henri Serre, Diane Lepvrier, Pierre Asso

French “new-wave” film noir.  Very atmospheric and moody, and a political subplot.  Clement (Trintignant) is a right-winger who belongs to a shadowy group planning an assassination.  He is married to Anne, an arty and naive woman who is growing disillusioned with him and her marriage.
After the assassination attempt, Clement is betrayed by Serge (Asso), and takes it upon himself to hunt the man down and kill him for his betrayal.  He leaves Anne with an old friend Paul (Serre), who lives in the country and is a left-liberal.
As you may suspect, Anne and Paul become involved, and she gets pregnant.  When Clement returns from months of being on the lam, he decides to take revenge on Paul, leading to the “combat on the island.”
Very atmospheric and beautifully shot, but the plot occasionally strains belief.  Schneider, 24 and at the beginning of her international stardom, does not always have control of her character, but is affecting and vulnerable.  The other leads are better than good.
Like many French films of this kind, the script does not feel compelled to fill in all the blanks, so you may scratch your head from time to time.  But, this is well worth seeing.
B

Gogol Bordello Non-Stop (Documentary 2008)
Director: Margarita Jimeno

Gogol Bordello is a Balkan/Klezmer/Gypsy/punk rock band known for its unhinged live shows.  The front man, Eugene Hutz, came over from Kiev in the late 80s.  Home movies indicate that he was already a hyperactive rock & roller before he arrived in America.
Tall, skinny and sporting a 70s-porn-star mustache, Hutz dresses in outlandish costumes and strange hats in live performance, and this film gives us many of those.  The band is made up of Russians, Gypsies and native-born Americans, and features two women who dance and cavort on stage to the music.
It reminds me of freak-outs, rave-ups and the punk-rock excesses of the 70s.  It is all great fun, and the only casualty is the music.  GB plays great, but when they are in full hysterical flight live, we don’t get to hear much of their chops.  We do get to follow them on tour, and learn a little about them individually.  But, the essence of the film is to capture their live show, and that is what it does.
Lots of fun, and a must for fans.
B