![[box cover]](../reviewimgs/r/reddwarf.jpg)
The Red Dwarf
Good things really do come in small packages, and Lucien
L'Hotte, the petit hero of Yvan Le Moine's beautiful French
comedy/drama The Red Dwarf, knows this all too well. A
talented writer who finds himself in hot water after composing
a love letter to the wife of his firm's biggest client, the
four-foot Lucien's life becomes even more complicated after
the lady in question turns up dead. Along the way, our hero
develops a close friendship with young Isis (Dyna Gauzy), a circus
performer who is intrigued with Lucien because both of them
are the same height. ("Are you a goblin?" she asks. "No, just a
Lucien," he replies.) The Red Dwarf is a terrific
film, one that dares to say something interesting and different,
rather than recycle the same formulas we've seen a thousand
times before. It's even brave enough to shed its somber tone
midway through the story -- usually a disastrous move -- but
the film's split personality is a big part of its charm. The first
half of the movie sets up the tale as a heartwarming drama, as we
watch Lucien trying -- unsuccessfully, bless him -- to win the heart
of his lady-fair. The second half, though, is black comedy all the
way. Surprisingly, rather than jarring the viewer, this tonal
transition feels exactly "right," which is a major complement to
the actors (there's not a bad performance to be found), director,
and editor, who pulled off a near-miracle with this gem of a film.
The Red Dwarf is presented in French, with English subtitles
(which can't be turned off, incidentally). The DVD boasts a beautiful
widescreen transfer, which really allows the gorgeous black and white
cinematography to shine through. Trailer, keep case.
—Joe Barlow
