A very experimental film in terms of visuals and aesthetics, but one that disappoints us due to the poor conception of the characters and the lack of harmonization of the plot.
This film harmoniously brings together two arts that I greatly value: cinema, of course, and opera, which for me is the most complete, challenging and versatile stage art that exists. Although the film is not about opera and is far from perfect, it is delightful to hear Wilhelmenia Fernandez's melodious voice. Unfortunately, the script could have been better: there are a number of rough edges that should have been polished.
Jean-Jacques Beineix gives us a stylized work, with notes of artistic quality, however, the story he tells us has problems: it all starts with a fan's curious obsession with his favorite opera singer. After stealing the dress she wore during a recital, he becomes friends with a young Vietnamese woman who steals records from a music store. Shortly afterwards, their paths cross with a group of dangerous killers who claim victims in public, disguised as police officers. After some more time, the opera singer finally meets her obsessed fan and becomes friends with him.
That is, what we have are two subplots that try to intertwine into a single story. The problem is that the union doesn't work out very well: they are too different and both want the same type of attention and protagonism. It doesn't work! With the exception of the opera singer, the characters are uninteresting, unsympathetic or underdeveloped, and there is no logic in the way they move and the decisions they make (not even the singer, who is suddenly unaware of the fact that her voice has been finally recorded – something she didn't allow and hated – and starts to feel incredible about having an obsessive fan behind her).
What's good about this film? The look and aesthetics. The cinematography is quite skillful in experimenting with light, shadow and framing, and there is some originality in the way the editing and editing were done. I really liked the work developed by Wilhelmeina Fernandez, as I said, but I also think that Frédéric Andréi tried his best to rise to the challenge he faced, even with weak material and a virtual absence of charisma. However, the rest of the cast is disappointing. Just a note of curiosity: it was the first film by Dominique Pinon, a French actor who would become one of the best of his generation.
