Je Veux Voir

A real oddity, Je Veux Voir (I Want To See) at first glance seems like a star remake of Philippe Aractingi’s Under The Bombs, which also had a man and woman of very different backgrounds travelling through war torn Lebanon.

But, Je Veux Vois is very much it’s own film.  A brief at 69 minute car journey through some of the worst hit locations as the two actors and their crew travel to the border with Israel, the story, with its blend of documentary and fiction, never comes to life.

Deneuve and Mroue appear to be making a film within the film.  Or perhaps Catherine fancied an unusual holiday.  Maybe it’s a weird version of I’m A Celebrity…

Whatever the meaning, or lack of meaning, occasionally powerful images sock you between the eyes.

Felled bridges and apartments have been seen before, but most disturbing is a ride past bulldozers shovelling the ruins into the sea, Mroue reminding us that the rubble was once bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, bathrooms…

But, for all its faults Under The Bombs is still the better film to see.
 

Rob Daniel