The Beat That My Heart Skipped (2005)-Michael Tenzer
The Beat That My Heart Skipped(2005)
By Michael Tenzer
The Beat That My Heart Skipped is a film of a peculiar splendor. It houses the distinct technical trappings of a sharp and gleaming style, a style that could make the film stand very much on its own. Yet, the filmproves itself to be much more then a mere visual treat.
Properly a remake of Fingers (1978) starring Harvey Kietel, The Beat That My Heart Skipped tells the story of Thomas, a young man who partakes in underhanded and violent real estate accruements for his father. Thomas soon finds himself dissatisfied with his life of unethical dealings, and when he runs into his mother’s old piano teacher, the chance meeting inspires Thomas to take up playing again. With this decision, Thomas is forced to juggle his priorities. He must decide between remaining loyal in helping his father or to abandon his old habits and take up playing the piano, which he finds to be his true passion.
The film is a testament to the gorgeous luminosity of Paris. Vivid cinematography portrays the city as an ethereal manifestation, with neon light trills and gleaming reflections that oft times flood the frame. Scenes were Thomas is driving or walking around Paris at night serves to draw the viewer ever further into the lush, surrealistic setting. It –is- the cosmopolitan Paris of everyone’s archetypal dreams. The intense focus on lighting is never overbearing, however, because it floats along, in and out of the viewers consciousness, dancing a subtle tango with the story and the characters.
Romain Duris is outstanding as young Thomas. At first apathetic and distant, we soon find Thomas has a fire roiling deep within him. Duris’ transformation of Thomas is at times poignantly captivating and at others an understated revelation. He plays Thomas as a man who is easily agitated and restless, like when he fails to improve at piano, yet a degree of compassion still lingers within him. It can be seen when Thomas learns that one of his friends is cheating on his wife, he is slow to come forward with the information, as he fears how she might react, yet at the same time you can sense that he wants to tell her somehow. Thomas’ compassion is also displayed in his attempts to bring his father away from a business that is incredibly dangerous. These nook and cranny intricacies of character dynamic only serve to make Thomas an immensely endearing character. The characters see-saw emotions of anguish and happiness push actor Duris to make a stunning performance.
Another major element to this film is the music. The Beat That My Heart Skipped boasts a number of pop, rock and electronic songs that really encapsulate the whole of the movie’s experience. Songs like “Monkey 23” by the Kills and “Breathe” by Telepopmusik dot the movies aural landscape, dripping with a throb and delirium that matches the intense kaleidoscopic illumination of the film’s visuals. Classical music obviously makes its mark as well, with a specific focus on a Hadyn piano piece. The music is integrated with scenes of Thomas listening to headphones, his car radio and playing his piano, which is a definitive way to simultaneously augment aural stimulation and character development.
Jaques Audiard’s deft directing and writing abilities shine through on The Beat That My Heart Skipped. Shot in a very diminutive, stationary way, the film shifts from structural conciseness to moments of reflective observation. It is a testament to Audiard’s ability to craft a smarty pants thriller so oozing with style and attitude, that it digs its claws deep into the viewer, for better or worse. I’ll vote for better, one hundred times over.
Copyright C. 2008 Michael Tenzer