Reel-View Ratings: The Bigger The Beard, The Better The Movie

on May 4, 2015 at 11:40 am

DIOR AND I

By all accounts, Dior and I should be a riveting behind-the-scenes look at how the esteemed fashion house recovered after firing head designer John Galliano eight weeks before the brand’s fall collection was to debut in 2011. And there are wonderful, intimate scenes with the seam-stresses and artisans who sew and breathe life into all those couture gowns, as well as tidbits of the harsher politics behind luxury brands. But Galliano’s successor, Raf Simon, is a dull lynchpin to hold all the threads together, offering little insight into his work or himself, and attempts to entwine the reticent Simon with the brand’s founder, Christian Dior, are forced and intrusive.

Opened May 1 at Kahala Theatre

IN THE COURTYARD

Like attracts like in this French drama about broken, depressed singer-turned-apartment manager Antoine, who ends up befriending anxious retiree Mathilde, who is convinced their building is on the verge of collapse. The characters end up finding some solace in their odd-couple match, certainly, but there’s a lot of baggage for the viewer to deal with first. Tonally, the movie meanders around between humor and melancholy, and for every moment of genuine emotion, there are four more of artificial contrivance that smack of try-hardiness (mostly found in the ensemble cast’s bundle of neuroses). Still, it’s hard not to care about Antoine and Mathilde — and hope they find their way.

Plays at 1 p.m. May 8 and 7:30 p.m. May 21 at Doris Duke Theatre

TOKYO FIANCEE

It’s a match made in a very twee heaven when French tutor Amelie, a Belgian woman who loves all things Japanese, falls in love with her student Rinri, a Japanese man who loves all things French. (Yes, Belgians speak French.) Their love blossoms amidst the usual culture clashes one might expect from such a pairing, with plenty of bilingual wordplay and fish-out-of-water scenarios that shine an insider’s light on Japanese culture. The film is bubbly, bright and funny, even if it is clear that this isn’t a love story meant to last (though its bounciness can be cloying at times).