I'd seen this movie (adapted from the one-man play of the same title that Lepage wrote, directed and performed himself) in the cinema when it was first released back in 2003 and remember really enjoying it.
Face cachée de la lune is typical of Robert Lepage's intimate one-man shows (he's amazing to watch live on stage as he shifts from character to character). It's a richly drawn out character study of protagonist Philippe, an aloof 40-something grad-student fascinated with the cosmos, and his relationship with his estranged gay yuppie TV weatherman younger brother André (both played by Lepage). The two brothers are coming to terms with the passing of their mother.
Lepage parallels the brothers' relationship with the US-Russian space race of the 1960s and uses all of this as a background to explore the broader themes of loneliness and isolation, reconciliation and narcissism versus the innate need for self understanding.
As it was adapted from a play, the pace of the movie is languid and it is mostly dialogue-driven. Lepage densely packs both the narrative and the visual elements of the movie with layers of symbolism and allegory. The dialogue is often very witty and it is full of subtle humour. I love the visual style; it's a simple, low-budget film but the cinematography and art direction are superb and there are several symbolic surrealist sequences (and LSD trips) that add to the visual impact of the movie.
Despite being a bit cerebral the movie is accessible and also packs an emotional punch, you really empathize with Philippe by the end of the movie but the emotion is very well-balanced, it's definitely not the over-the-top, sentimental variety.
Having been familiar with Lepage's work prior to seeing Cirque du Soleil's KÀ in Las Vegas. I was so surprised at how flat and one-dimensional that production is (despite that flying monstrosity of a stage). Yes, Lepage is known for his use of technology in theatrical storytelling but not to the point where it overwhelms the production. At the end of the stage version of Face cachée there's a surrealistic sequence where Philippe is seen floating alone through the void of space (actually the audience is looking at a large, tilted mirror and watching the reflection of Lepage rolling around on the floor of the stage), but given the significance of what the scene symbolizes this simple "technological" trick made for a really touching moment to end the show . . . sometimes less really is more.
Anyway, as you can tell, the movie is kind of difficult to explain so I suggest you watch it yourself. I'd love to hear your opinions of the movie.
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