Chambre 212 [On a Magical Night] (Christophe Honoré, 2019)

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soundchaser
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Chambre 212 [On a Magical Night] (Christophe Honoré, 2019)

#1 Post by soundchaser » Fri Feb 28, 2020 11:56 pm

I’ll try to do a more detailed write-up tomorrow at work, but I really enjoyed On a Magical Night, even if I can see why it would absolutely enrage others. It’s tonally wild in a way that’s right up my alley, but definitely inconsistent and occasionally frustrating. Still, I suspect folks here will like it!

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Festival Circuit 2020

#2 Post by therewillbeblus » Sat Feb 29, 2020 11:05 am

That’s good to hear, soundchaser, I’m seeing it tonight!

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soundchaser
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Re: Festival Circuit 2020

#3 Post by soundchaser » Sat Feb 29, 2020 11:50 am

Oh, fab! Looking forward to seeing what you think of it.

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therewillbeblus
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Re: Festival Circuit 2020

#4 Post by therewillbeblus » Sun Mar 01, 2020 1:34 am

On a Magical Night (or its French title, Chambre 212, which I dislike enough to swap for its American one- even if the French one has actual thematic connection in its numerics) is exactly what I've come to expect from a French comedy, which is a messy blending of moods that doesn't play by the rules. However, this film outdoes most because it doesn't even play by its own wavering internal logic. The film begins by (and continues to operate intermittently as) embodying a slightly humorous but still raw take on marriage a la Scenes From a Marriage before venturing into fantastical territory, with a twist where
SpoilerShow
the apparitions as guides wind up as the characters who are most in distress and require the most resolve, with the main characters helping them work through their resentments and angst! And of course, the internal logic of these apparitions as only being apparent to Chiara Mastroianni, or being externalized parts of her psyche, or any other single allegory, is continuously disproven by another great idea. I did enjoy the use of IFS internal 'parts' though, especially her 'conscience' who was hysterical (there's a great subtle gag I didn't recognize until later, when he smirks as Mastroianni introduces him as "like family" to a lover, after a certain risqué reveal), but ultimately even this wonderful portrait of that process had to be surrendered to the diverse space this film operated in.
Part of why this very disorganized film worked so well for me is that the subject and its message about the subject is itself so ineffable, so the wild structure matched the impenetrable content. Love as impermanent, defined by the past, from memory, but necessary to experience in the present, is explained in contradictory attitudes by the couple that are both correct, indicating the illogical nature of evolving personalities in relationships and the possibility of two opposing perspectives as not mutually exclusive, but mutually valid within this hazy relativist context of authenticity to the self and/or the system. There was a very realist element to this film that acknowledged the challenges of growing together and impossibility of knowing another or even oneself through rational thought that was not so much sad as piercingly true, and I admired this film for allowing that to exist sans faux-answers. This is a very, very deep film, and safe to say one of the most complex I've ever seen. For something to be so funny, bizarre, creative, honest in its pathos, and beautiful in its celebration of life, and above all agency, well it's one of the best films of the year.

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Re: Chambre 212 [On a Magical Night] (Christophe Honoré, 2019)

#5 Post by therewillbeblus » Sat May 16, 2020 1:03 am

I got a notification that this was playing (via virtual screening) from the Coolidge Corner theatre in the Boston area, and sure enough it's currently at a bunch of arthouse theatres across the country

I can't recommend this one highly enough.

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domino harvey
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Re: Chambre 212 [On a Magical Night] (Christophe Honoré, 2019)

#6 Post by domino harvey » Sat Sep 05, 2020 11:52 pm

I liked this a lot, though I don't think it amounts to more than parlor tricks that threaten to come together and never quite do. It seemed very much like Honoré making a Bertrand Blier film. As with Blier at his more fanciful, I'm not sure there is a coherent throughline with the gimmick here, but again as with Blier I also don't think it really matters. Certainly a good film to go into blind, as the reveals of what the eff is going on are a big part of the fun

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domino harvey
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Re: Chambre 212 [On a Magical Night] (Christophe Honoré, 2019)

#7 Post by domino harvey » Mon Oct 05, 2020 8:20 pm

This is now available to rent on Amazon as "On a Magical Night". I think a lot of people here would quite enjoy it. Be forewarned, the description gives up the game a bit, though.

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Aunt Peg
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Re: Chambre 212 [On a Magical Night] (Christophe Honoré, 2019)

#8 Post by Aunt Peg » Fri Nov 13, 2020 1:44 am

Due to be released on DVD only in Australia during January 2021 under the title of Room 212.

I don't expect a Blu Ray in the U.S. either as Strand rarely release anything much on Blu Ray these days.

Is anybody aware of a UK distributor?

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Toland's Mitchell
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Re: Chambre 212 [On a Magical Night] (Christophe Honoré, 2019)

#9 Post by Toland's Mitchell » Mon May 17, 2021 8:57 pm

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"Love is built on a memory" said Richard as he came to terms with the knowledge of his wife's affair, while reminiscing about his childhood love with his significantly older teacher. He pondered regret over allowing that to slip through his fingers, and settling to marry the similarly-aged Maria, who treated marital fidelity like a joke. While love is built on a memory, their marriage was built on top of a movie theater, and the magic of the cinema crept up through the floor and into Maria's world, and followed her to the hotel across the street, where she intended to think over their marriage and was visited by several apparitions in a style of A Christmas Carol (I'm not entirely sure of the symbolic meaning of the movie theater Richard and Maria lived above, but it's worth mentioning.). The spirits were never fully explained and don't make any sense, but who cares? They take on a life of their own, spicing up the scenes, and become essential characters themselves. Some are just flat-out silly such as the appearance of Maria's mother. Others add depth and thought such as the younger version of Richard. I could go on, but as domino said, the less you know going in, the better. In addition to On a Magical Night's humor and charm, the film well executes on its serious themes on faded love, marriage, and romantic nostalgia. The film's seamless tonal shifts were a great accomplishment, aided by its own bizarre premise and structure. Even though every element wasn't perfect, On a Magical Night was one of the more engrossing, and overall the more underrated films, of the year. Thanks for the rec, soundchaser.

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