"Lemming" *** (out of ****)
There is something about Charlotte Rampling that never grows old. I must admit, she is one of my favorite actresses. Just knowing she is in a movie will compel me to see it. She has just an amazing range as an actress. And what is even more incredible is after all these years, Ms. Rampling is still in demand.
In Dominik Moll's "Lemming" Ms. Rampling isn't put to full use. Too bad. "Lemming" is Mr. Moll's follow-up to his 2000 French hit, "With A Friend Like Harry". The two films share something similar but, in fairness "Lemming" seems to be a more mature film, despite some of its flaws.
Like "With A Friend Like Harry" this film revolves around a seemingly nice stranger who enters a young couple's lives only to bring destruction and interrupt their happiness. In "Lemming" that disruption is brought upon by two events. One is a dead lemming (a Scandinavian rodent) found in the pipes of the young couple's kitchen sink and Alice Pollock (Rampling).
Alice is married to Richard (Andre Dussollier, who was in Alain Resnais "Private Fears in Public Places"). They are invited to dinner one day by one of Mr. Pollock's employees, Alain Getty (Laurent Lucas). Alain, in addition to being Richard's favorite employee, is a happily married man for the last three years, to his lovely wife Benedicte (Charlotte Gainsbourg).
The Pollock's are late for dinner and when they do arrive do nothing but argue. The dinner scene which follows is something out of "Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolfe" and/or the dinner scene in Bergman's "Scenes From A Marriage". It is all at once realistic and extremely uncomfortable. Alice reprimands her husband, who she feels has been cheating on her with whores. She explains that is why they are late. Richard sits there with a forced smile, trying to apologize for his wife. Ask yourself, how would you react in this situation. The young couple try to brush it off. But there is such intensity filling the air it is simply too hard to avoid. By itself, it is a nearly perfect scene.
What happens next is a little tricky to explain without revealing too much of the plot. In fact it is nearly impossible. "Lemming" is a movie which works entirely on its twist and turns. It wants to be a suspenseful psychological thriller but like "With A Friend Like Harry" never quite reaches the target it has set for itself.
The two biggest problems I see with "Lemming" is the editing. The film just lingers at times. It could have used some slight trimming. This would have made it a more solid piece of work. I think it would move more smoothly. Secondly, the film just doesn't work as a thriller. Moll doesn't do a great job creating a suspenseful atmosphere. What made "Lemming" watchable in my case was the drama of the situation Alain finds himself.
"Lemming" is the kind of film if you think about what you just saw afterwards it may frustrate you more and more. This is a movie to watch, shut off, and go on to a new activity. Enjoy it for what it is. There are a lot of open questions floating around when the movie is over. If you just accept it for what it is without trying to solve anything, the movie is now a passable diversion of time.
The third problem with "Lemming" is there is not enough for Ms. Rampling. She seems to be the only one who really generates anything from the screen. Sure, the other actors, like Dussollier, have a certain charm to them, but they all seem dull compared to Rampling. When she is not on-screen, which is for at least an hour of the film, it drags a bit. When she is on-screen she brings intensity and sexuality.
Rampling though is no stranger to these kind of brainteaser films. She fared better in the 2003 film "Swimming Pool". Where she was even asked to display more sex appeal than she does here! That movie could have your head spinning for days. But you just knew there was something going on beneath the surface. With "Lemming" you suspect there is but Moll doesn't offer us enough clues to figure it all out. He makes it seem like it was all a coincidence.
"Lemming" was nominated for a palme d'or at the Cannes Film Festival and was scripted by Moll and Gilles Marchand. If you enjoy Ms. Rampling, the film is worth renting. "Lemming" is not really a disappointing film. It deserves credit and should be seen but I just can't help but feel this could have all been done a little better with a little more style. Still, you must accept the film for what it is.
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