Imagine Captain America as a sociopathic, racist misogynist...
The real treat for me is seeing Delphine Seyrig playing so radically against type. Best know for her cool reserved roles in films like "Last Year At Marienbad," she hams it up with great skill, and looks great in a skimpy outfit and giant red wig. It´s inconceivable to me that this is the same woman who played Jeanne Dielman. If I needed to my unreserved love for Ms. Seyrig to be confirmed (I don´t), this film would cinch it. What a lady!
THE MODEL COUPLE
The final film in the set is by far the least successful. "The Model Couple" takes an interesting premise and milks it for far more than it´s worth. Jean-Michel (André Dussolier) and Claudine (Anémone) are chosen for their complete average-ness for a national experiment that will help determine what the future of consumerism looks like in France. They are poked, prodded and tested by a pair of largely disinterested psychosociologists and kept under 24-hour surveillance as they are inundated with an array of new household goods to gauge their reactions. The experiment is also televised for the nation´s edification and to serve as fodder for shallow talk shows.
It´s an intriguing idea, but the film very quickly begins to run in circles. Jean-Michel and Claudine lose their patience with the experiments but are forced to endure and endure and endure… as are the viewers. The absurdity of the whole ordeal is so obvious from the start that the keen satirical edge Klein shows in the first two films in the set is badly blunted. This might have made a great short film, but it´s too short on ideas to make a satisfying feature. Eddie Constantine makes a brief appearance as the American Dr. Goldberg.
Video
Each film is presented in an anamorphic 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Unlike Criterion offerings, Eclipse transfers aren´t usually restored. However, they still manage to look better than the releases from most studios. The only major complaint is that the colors in "Mr. Freedom" don´t pop nearly as much as they should. The transfers are all of fairly comparable quality.
Audio
The discs are presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the audio which is in English for "Mr. Freedom" and French for the other two films.
Extras
None, as per the rule for Eclipse releases.
Film Value
No list of super-hero films is complete without "Mr. Freedom," my favorite film in the set. "Polly Maggoo" isn´t far behind either. The relative failure of "The Modern Couple" doesn´t detract from the value of this reasonably priced no-frills set. The Eclipse series is designed to quickly distribute lesser-seen films by well-known auteurs as well as works by less widely recognized directors. I had never seen a William Klein films before this set, and I´m very glad that Eclipse has helped to fill this hole in the DVD catalog.
For those who need individual ratings, here you go: "Where Are You, Polly Maggoo" – 7/10, "Mr. Freedom" – 8/10, "The Model Couple" – 5/10.
THE MODEL COUPLE
The final film in the set is by far the least successful. "The Model Couple" takes an interesting premise and milks it for far more than it´s worth. Jean-Michel (André Dussolier) and Claudine (Anémone) are chosen for their complete average-ness for a national experiment that will help determine what the future of consumerism looks like in France. They are poked, prodded and tested by a pair of largely disinterested psychosociologists and kept under 24-hour surveillance as they are inundated with an array of new household goods to gauge their reactions. The experiment is also televised for the nation´s edification and to serve as fodder for shallow talk shows.
It´s an intriguing idea, but the film very quickly begins to run in circles. Jean-Michel and Claudine lose their patience with the experiments but are forced to endure and endure and endure… as are the viewers. The absurdity of the whole ordeal is so obvious from the start that the keen satirical edge Klein shows in the first two films in the set is badly blunted. This might have made a great short film, but it´s too short on ideas to make a satisfying feature. Eddie Constantine makes a brief appearance as the American Dr. Goldberg.
Video
Each film is presented in an anamorphic 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Unlike Criterion offerings, Eclipse transfers aren´t usually restored. However, they still manage to look better than the releases from most studios. The only major complaint is that the colors in "Mr. Freedom" don´t pop nearly as much as they should. The transfers are all of fairly comparable quality.
Audio
The discs are presented in Dolby Digital Mono. Optional English subtitles support the audio which is in English for "Mr. Freedom" and French for the other two films.
Extras
None, as per the rule for Eclipse releases.
Film Value
No list of super-hero films is complete without "Mr. Freedom," my favorite film in the set. "Polly Maggoo" isn´t far behind either. The relative failure of "The Modern Couple" doesn´t detract from the value of this reasonably priced no-frills set. The Eclipse series is designed to quickly distribute lesser-seen films by well-known auteurs as well as works by less widely recognized directors. I had never seen a William Klein films before this set, and I´m very glad that Eclipse has helped to fill this hole in the DVD catalog.
For those who need individual ratings, here you go: "Where Are You, Polly Maggoo" – 7/10, "Mr. Freedom" – 8/10, "The Model Couple" – 5/10.
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