The odd couple
"L'Amant Double" will be one of the competing films in the 70th Cannes Film Festival. It will be François Ozon's first appearance in this event since "Young and Beautiful" (2013). This year also marked the 20th anniversary of the release of "See the Sea", which catapulted the French filmmaker into stardom.
Ozon would be renowned for his satirical wit and unconstrained view on human sexuality, but "See the Sea" were neither of those two. It may be his masterpiece, a mere 52 minutes long. It was too short to be called a full-length feature movie, also too long to be labeled as a short film. How about a medium-length film? Take note that he won't be the first to do this kind of feature. (Many B films of yesteryear would be that long in running time.) Some film enthusiasts compared Ozon to the likes of Alfred Hitchcock (after the release of "See the Sea"). Furthermore, Ozon showed what a classy French film was really all about. There was hardly any dialogue. There was a virtual absence of music. The images would hook and intrigue the audience at the same time.
Boredom has a price
A seaside village in Île d'Yeu would drive Sasha crazy with boredom. There were instances when she left her daughter by herself. She was barely a year old, which should make Sasha an irresponsible mother. She was too young to embrace domestic existence. The responsibilities left her little time to indulge in other things. (She might have missed reading a paperback during an idle weekend.) She longed for her husband, who was on a lengthy business trip. It made her aware of her needs, prompting her to seek casual sex with strangers. And then came along Tatiana.
Tatiana was a backpacker, who asked Sasha if it would be OK to pitch a tent outside her house. Sasha was wary of the drifter especially her unkempt appearance, yet it didn't take long before the two became the unlikely mates. This would be the best part of the film, as Ozon forced his viewers to pay attention to all the details they would see on the big screen. Tatiana would likely perceive Sasha's sexual needs, but this may not have prompted the young mother to let a backpacker enter her home. Sasha saw the disturbing signs, which would prompt her to call the police. She may set aside her sensibility, as she needed a distraction from her domestic duties. Tatiana came into her place at the right time. Alas, Tatiana was a malevolent character.
Did she lose a child? It seemed to be the case if the final scene would be the basis. Did she have an abusive past? What happened to Sasha could point to that possibility. Could a relationship save her? It must be the case, but the crying toddler won't react to her seemingly motherly instincts. Ozon didn't add a scene that would reveal all the answers, and it was better that way. Tatiana was a like a dark cloud that would bring stormy weather to the inhabitants of Île d'Yeu. Sasha may have a violent episode in her past life, which was the reason behind her growing faith in Tatiana. The baby would know the real score, but she couldn't say a sentence (or a phrase at the very least).
"See the Sea" would be far from unpredictable, which Ozon intended it. Perceptive moviegoers could figure out Sasha's fate, but they would be glued to their seats. It might be the bright sun, which would blind them from the actual happenings. It could be Ozon's freewheeling mindset (on sex), which was too tempting to resist. No one wanted to be left alone, so they held on to their seats. It was still shocking nonetheless.
