Review of La Belle Verte
By Pollyanna Darling, originally published here
La Belle Verte (1996) is a wildly heart opening, innocent, funny and thought provoking French film. It slipped under my nose courtesy of a lovely TreeSister in France who recommended it thus: “When people hope they move in the right direction….when they despair, they drown.”
Exquisitely shot, this sumptuous movie takes time and care over every scene – no rushing, no crazy action, just a gentle, humorous ride through the parts of modern life that switch us off and shut down our free and joyous true nature. Written and directed by Coline Serreau, La Belle Verte stars Marion Cotillard as Mila, a 150 year old woman from a beautiful green planet inhabited by thoughtful, honest, telepathic humans who live only for the joy of being alive. Mila decides to go to Earth, a violent, dirty planet no one else wants to visit. She seeks more information about her heritage, but instead discovers a culture locked into meaningless work, sickness and regimented hierarchy. Her interactions with Parisians are both achingly poignant and hilarious.
La Belle Verte is a delightful invitation to celebrate life, unplug from the matrix and rejoice in the beauty that is always present, even amidst chaos and confusion. It also has a magical effect on the viewer – an intoxicating blissful dose of hope and possibility.
