Hunting and Gathering- A Film and Book Review by Claire Saxby
…or ‘Ensemble c’est tout’ if you prefer the French title. WARNING: Spoiler alert. Don’t read on if you’re planning to see this film.
Wonderful and Interesting
I was looking forward to seeing ‘Hunting and Gathering’, having enjoyed previous features with the gorgeous Audrey Tautou. And it was pretty – very pretty – with its wonderful French buildings and countryside.Camille (Audrey Tautou) was lovely, Frank (Guilliame Canet) is very easy on the eye. The other two main characters – Phillibert (from an aristocratic family) and Paulette (Frank’s grandmother) were both very interesting. I don’t know if this movie came from a book, but it felt like it might have.
The Stories
While (Audrey’s) Camille’s story was centre-stage, there were several other stories that warranted more exploration, I thought. Back stories for almost all the other characters needed more explanation to really make glorious the resolution.
Unresolved Questions
Thinking about the film afterwards, I had lots of questions. If Phillibert’s stuttering came from a troubled and emotionally under-supported childhood, why were his parents at the solo theatrical performance that marked his emergence from their shadow? And just where did his girlfriend come from? Why didn’t they all move into Paulette’s house? Who kept Paulette’s amazing garden and glorious pets in such wonderful condition for so long? What happened to the vacated ‘apartment’? When was the transition from being a temporary invalid in need of some TLC to permanent resident? I had a sense of bits having been cut out rather than never having been explored.
The Sense of Power
I liked the relationships that evolved in ‘Hunting and Gathering’ and the sense of the power of community in enriching lives, indeed in many senses saving lives. I just wanted a little bit more.
Overall Sense of the Film
The film felt like it had come from a book. I felt that there were things left out, or not communicated clearly. Well, I was right. About the book that is. I’m fully aware that it may well be my own limitations that prevented me getting what I wanted from the film.
And then to the Marvellous Book
The book by Anna Gavalda is marvellous. All the questions I had after seeing the film were answered. Actions and decisions made sense. But there was more. There were other characters either absent or only very briefly alluded to, drawn in full colour. The main characters were rich and full and delightfully frustrating. I wanted to shake them, yell at them, hug them, cry for them, laugh with them. I couldn’t leave the characters behind when I put the book down and I couldn’t put the book down for long.
I Want to See the Film Again
I want to see the film again. I think this time I could appreciate what the film makers have done. I don’t pretend to be a film maker and I don’t pretend that I know how they could have made the film work for me first time around. Someone said that a screenwriter’s obligation is to stay true to the essence of a book brought to screen, not to reproduce the book. I get that, but to my mind they did stay close to the book. I won’t know until I see it again, if the clues were there and I just missed them.
So if you get the chance, see the movie. But read the book first.
