This French film was another one I found in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, being a 90s film it was odd that it was hard to find to watch, but I did eventually find it and wanted to see if it was worthy of the book placement. Basically Marcello Mastroianni plays a man with multiple personalities, the film focuses on four, travelling Parisian salesman Mateo Strano, Sorbonne university professor of negative anthropology Georges Vickers, a mute country house Butler working for a wealthy newlywed couple, and industrial magnate Luc Alamand. Mateo shows up at the home of the wife he abandoned twenty years ago, María (Marisa Paredes),she remarried André (Féodor Atkine),he tells his story to André that he has in fact been living in an apartment across the street the entire time, he lures André to him and murders him with a hammer, María suspects nothing as he returns calmly, she even introduces him to their adopted daughter. George Vickers still lives with his cranky mother until he becomes a tramp, on the streets he encounters streetwalker Tania (Anna Galiena) with a passion for philosophy, the hooker and tramp stay together until Vickers returns and leaves, following this George discovers Tania is in fact president of a major corporation, and when he learns she has been jailed for the attempted murder of her creepy ex-husband Vickers comes to her rescue. The newlywed couple are struggling a little, but their lives change dramatically when a benefactor provides them a marvellous country house, they are also given a mute butler who serves them well, but they slowly figure out their valet, who actually owns the château, is plotting to kill them with slow poising, to steal their fortune, terrified the leave, but he finds them and demands they give him their baby daughter, he gives the child to Maria, Mateo's ex-wife. Finally Luc Alamand is in trouble, learning that potential clients he wants to impress want to meet his wife, daughter and sister, and they are actually coming, the stress causes his other personalities to emerge, each have wildly different lives, but are all clearly similar characters, and it is all bound to end in s=destruction and confusion for himself and some others. Also starring Melvil Poupaud as Martin, Chiara Mastroianni as Cécile, Arielle Dombasle as Hélène and Jean-Yves Gautier as Mario. Mastroianni is amusing playing the four different personalities embodied in one man, the story is okay but rather hard to follow, and to be honest I didn't laugh at a lot of it, I know it is meant to be funny, and I'm not sure the placing in the 1001 Movies book is one I agree with, but it was an interesting enough fantasy comedy drama. Good!

"Three Lives and Only One Death" directed by Raoul Ruiz, was probably a vehicle for Marcello Mastroianni. The film marked the end of the life of one of the greatest actors of all times. A giant among giants, the actor probably sensing his own death played not only one, but three different roles. There are many messages within the story, one of which seems to be pointing to the unification of the single currency not only in France, but in the countries of the European Union, something much in the news these days.

The narrative consists on three stories that are interconnected. Each one shows Mr. Mastroianni at the center of the story. Mr. Ruiz showed his admiration to the surrealists masters of the genre like Luis Bunuel and his followers. As far as the narrative is concerned, the film has an absurdist character in stories that speak about everyday life, played by larger than life characters. The situations do not make sense, although there is a basic story line that is kept throughout the film.

The best excuse for watching the film is to see Marcello Mastroianni in his heavily accented French having a good time playing disparate people. Others in the cast include the actor's daughter, Chiara in the third vignette playing opposite Melvil Poupaud. The first story features Feodor Atkine who meets an unexpected fatal attack. Marisa Paredes, Aurore Dombasle and Anna Galiena also appear as the three women in the main character's life.

Raul Ruiz has crafted a genuinely surrealistic film, dealing with such subjects as identity, time, chance and the cyclical pattern of events, but for all his camera tricks (some of which are outstanding),his storytelling is rather flat, and his characters talk too much. Ruiz asks for too much patience and too many allowances on the part of the viewer, without giving his stories the kicker that would justify them; his one big revelation was all but spoiled in pretty much every review of the film, not to mention its own title. (*1/2)