And this is certainly one of the most different films of the year. Of course, it has become a bit of a standard phrase to say it's difficult to explain this film and you have to see it in order to feel it, but if this description applies to any film, it's this one. You have to witness the doorbells, eels, dancing etc. for yourself. Michel Gondry created a pretty unique world here with the help of his mind and of animation occasionally. The animation reminded me a bit of PES's movies. In the cast he gets help from some of France's finest. Audrey Tautou will probably never have a bigger trademark film than Amélie, but still she's done some fine work since 2001 and elevates every film she's in with her charm. Romain Duris has by now developed into one of France's best actors. I always thought about him as perfect for some kind of diabolic villain, maybe in a Bond movie à la Mikkelsen in Casino Royale, so it strikes me as a bit of a surprise he does so many romcoms. Saw "Populaire" earlier this year. That does not mean he's bad though. Quite the contrary, he probably delivers the best acting performance in this one and has quite some baity material that allows him to show us his strengths. Last but not least from the positive factors, Omar Sy from "Intouchables" is also on board and manages to light up the screen when he's on. Gad Elmaleh plays a friend to Duris' lead character, but to be honest I found him rather insignificant and as a consequence also the whole Jean-Sol Partre-subplot. I know that they cut the film considerably for the international release, from over 120 minutes to over 90, so maybe his character got lost in the process, but I just couldn't build any connection whatsoever to Chick.

That, however, is just a minor distraction and if "L'écume des jours" is what surrealism looks like in the 21st century, I'm all for it. This film is one for the lovers: romantic, dramatic, funny, cute (a given with Tautou of course) and even with all its dreaminess we shouldn't overlook the very fine performance from Duris. Being a great fan of Boris Vian's music, I was not disappointed by his writing. I recommend this film. A lot.

How is this misconceived. Let me count the ways. First it casts Romain Duris as a romantic leading man; this is a guy whose ideal role is holding Vincent Cassell's coat as he beats up a nun. Second it pairs Duris romantically with Audrey Tautao despite previous similar pairings showing that this is a non-starter. Third it attempts to make a fantasy cum love story that is never going to work. Fourth they allowed it to get beyond the 'say, fellas, what if we signed Audrey Taautoa and Romaine Duris, shoved them into a surreal world and see what happens' stage and actually shot this bad joke. It will, of course, have its supporters, people, after all have been known to shell out good money to watch Police Academy, Carry On, Brain-dead and others of that ilk. Don't say I didn't warn you.

"L'écume des Jours" ("Mood Indigo") is one of the strangest and most surreal films I have ever seen. It's so strange that I recommend you watch it and don't try to understand it at all, as it doesn't appear to be a film that wants to be understood...just amaze and confuse! Heck, even the opening credits are bizarre and confusing...and include a guy running about in a mouse suit, a cut cutting off parts of his eyelids, a weird assembly line of folks typing on typewriters and so much more...and set to the music of Duke Ellington!

Since the film is bizarre, then the plot won't seem ALL that weird compared to everything else. Colin (Romain Duris) meets a lovely lady, Chloé (Audrey Tautou) at a part and they fall in love. However, soon they discover that she has a flower growing in her lung...and it might just be fatal! Makes sense? Of course not!

So is this worth watching? Well, based on the reviews it is hard to tell--folks seem to either adore it or hate it. I think it all depends on you and your ability and willingness to watch absolute strangeness...and complete sadness. If the cartoons of Terry Gilliam or Tex Avery are your thing, you are probably more likely to enjoy this film. And, just because you like other Audrey Tautou films (such as "Amelie"),this does not guarantee you'll be a fan of "Mood Indigo"! I suggest you just try watching it and if you start to think you brain might explode, stop immediately!! Totally unique and enchanting in its own strange way...but certainly not everyone's cup of tea! As for me, I liked it initially but as the film progressed I enjoyed it less and less. Some was because of the sad turn in the plot but most was because after a while it just became a bit tedious.

By the way, in one scene some folks are listening and watching a video where Duke Ellington introduces himself. Well, that's not really Ellington but Kid Creole...though should that really surprise you that it isn't him?!