8/10
Thank God for the absence of plot
24 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I am not a great fan of jazz, particularly not the Herbie Hancock kind where it is all jerky or the kind where there is no discernible melody, but the jazz in this film is pretty good on the whole. The musical highlight for me was How Long has this been Going On?

What I really liked about the film was the unhurried pace. There was not really a plot at all, the only story being that the lead character went to Paris, stayed there for a while and befriended a fan and his daughter, and then went home again. It is such a relief to see a film like this -- they are few and very far between-- where you can watch each scene without wondering what specific piece of information you are supposed to absorb before you move on to the next scene. And the absence of a plot does not mean that the film had nothing to say. On the contrary, it was a film about friendship, specifically the friendship between Dale and Francis, and it was outstanding in its observation of their relationship.

It's a truly lovely, meandering, thought-provoking and ultimately very moving portrayal of a part of life.
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