Farewell (L'affaire Farewell) reviews
Review by on 28 Sep 2010
When an audience struggle to move or utter a word as the end credits roll, you know that what you’ve just witnessed is a truly wonderful, moving and poignant picture.
FAREWELL (L'AFFAIRE FAREWELL), directed by Christian Carion, tells the story of Cold War Moscow and the relationship between a French engineer, Pierre Froment (Canet) and Grigoriev (Kusturica), a disenchanted KGB officer. As Grigoriev passes on documents, mainly concerning what could be uncovering the most important Soviet Cold War espionage operation known to date, Froment finds himself getting deeper and deeper into an operation much larger than he is.
FAREWELL captures both the audience’s attention and a significant point in history. FAREWELL promises you nearly two hours of delicious cinematography and a truly absorbing storyline which leaves you unable to construct a conversation until firmly on the pavement outside.
Two strong performances from Canet and Kusturica carry this film. Although some may see the scenes between Reagan (Fred Ward) and Mitterrand (Philippe Magnan) as hollow and naïve, I believe they cleverly juxtapose the true brutality of the situation at hand with some truly comic scenes.
I believe films that capture a time in history and rightly do it justice should be rewarded, and in my view, FAREWELL should get the highest honour.
Catriona Hay
FAREWELL (L'AFFAIRE FAREWELL), directed by Christian Carion, tells the story of Cold War Moscow and the relationship between a French engineer, Pierre Froment (Canet) and Grigoriev (Kusturica), a disenchanted KGB officer. As Grigoriev passes on documents, mainly concerning what could be uncovering the most important Soviet Cold War espionage operation known to date, Froment finds himself getting deeper and deeper into an operation much larger than he is.
FAREWELL captures both the audience’s attention and a significant point in history. FAREWELL promises you nearly two hours of delicious cinematography and a truly absorbing storyline which leaves you unable to construct a conversation until firmly on the pavement outside.
Two strong performances from Canet and Kusturica carry this film. Although some may see the scenes between Reagan (Fred Ward) and Mitterrand (Philippe Magnan) as hollow and naïve, I believe they cleverly juxtapose the true brutality of the situation at hand with some truly comic scenes.
I believe films that capture a time in history and rightly do it justice should be rewarded, and in my view, FAREWELL should get the highest honour.
Catriona Hay
Review by on 24 Sep 2010
Some excellent reviews above really say it all. If you tell your friends this is a Cold War espionage movie you will almost be misleading them, it rises above the genre's restrictions and the real drama is in the relationships between the key characters and within their families and the imminent disintegration of the Soviet empire. Only in the White House scenes does the film not work well, otherwise you are gripped by what appears to be true events in a realistic and entirely convincing setting. The film's aim to demonstrate, in film terms, the imminent disintegration of an empire is wonderfully realised. The scene which cuts repeatedly from a Queen concert (Mercury strutting in a pair of white shorts) to the Soviet officials' son performing in the empty countryside to his walkman is worth the ticket price on its own. Wonderful filmmaking.
Review by on 24 Sep 2010
Farewell is a compelling espionage thriller, based on true events that will keep you on the edge of your seat up until the bitter end. Directed by Christian Carion, Farewell is set in Cold War Moscow, two years after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The narrative follows Sergei Gregoriev (Emir Kusturica), who is a Soviet official of high rank, with access to critical information, and in turn starts to pass confidential documents to Pierre (Guillaume Canet), the middle man. Pierre is a typical family man, as well as a nobody, which helps him to retain his status of ‘above suspicion’. The relationship of Sergei and Pierre gradually builds and their friendship constitutes the emotional core of the film, and delivers subtle tones of humour throughout. The film also features the struggle of keeping the best intentions for each parents’ children at heart. The performances from both main characters are inspiring, and they quickly align the audience with their resistance and paranoia, involved in the cold war era for spies. The film delivers an impressive example of international cinema and succeeds in captivating the audience in a story of tyranny and conviction.
Harriet Roffey
Harriet Roffey
Review by on 23 Sep 2010
From the opening scenes it was obvious that FAREWELL (Christian Carion) was going to be a tense and dramatic film. Tension soon mounts from the beginning in this thriller as Pierre Froment (Guillaume Canet), who is a family man and French businessman, gets involved with Sergei Gregoriev (Emir Kusturica) who passes on information about Soviet spies in the US. As more information is leaked from the Soviets to the US, there are scenes of remembrance where I felt sympathy for Sergei as it seems his life is slipping away and he watches and holds onto the memories from old home videos of his son when he wasn’t involved in being a mole. There are changes in the tone of the film by the use of instrumental music that adds to the suspicion as tensions rise when it seems Froment is going to be found out by the Soviet officers, it then changes to scenes where there is subtle humour between Sergei and Pierre, which lightens the tense atmosphere during the seriousness of the espionage. Even though I enjoyed the film and thought it was cleverly put together how Sergei was both witty and serious about the task at the same time, I did however feel that there would be more dramatic scenes filled with anxiety and on edge tension of the characters especially from Froment’s point of view.
Rachael Humphrey
Rachael Humphrey
Review by on 19 Sep 2010
FAREWELL is an elegant depiction of Cold War espionage based on true events that proved catalytic to the demise of the Soviet Union. Pierre Froment (Guillame Canet), a French businessman who is ‘above suspicion’ due to his amateur status, is compelled to deliver high level intelligence from reckless, disillusioned KGB veteran Sergei Grigoriev (Emir Kusturica) to Reagan’s cabinet via François Mitterrand, thereby crippling Soviet intelligence.
Whilst Froment and Grigoriev convincingly resemble weary bureaucrats, scenes in the White House lack credibility - perhaps an attempt at satire by Carion, they are nevertheless rendered redundant by the sombre refinement of the film. Cultural boundaries between East and West deliver brief comic reprieve, and signal the imminent disintegration of an already stagnant regime.
Suffused with nostalgia, we observe Brezhnev-era Moscow cast in the lurid yellow light of street-lamps, or bleached white by lens flare, with an effortless attention to detail - Muscovites stand in endless queues on street corners as Soviet vehicles roam empty boulevards flanked by Socialist realist statues. Subterranean scenes add a noir aesthetic, reflecting the shades of deception throughout - in the words of Grigoriev; “I live in lies and solitude”.
Kusturica gives a shatteringly affecting performance, conveying Grigoriev’s wistful patriotism and hope for his son’s future with a rare eloquence. Carion creates real suspense and accommodates subtle plot twists, but there are no cheap thrills here- the film defies the brash conventions of its genre. Understated, fluid camerawork and dedicated performances deliver a film of classic style and depth.
Julie Hrischeva
Whilst Froment and Grigoriev convincingly resemble weary bureaucrats, scenes in the White House lack credibility - perhaps an attempt at satire by Carion, they are nevertheless rendered redundant by the sombre refinement of the film. Cultural boundaries between East and West deliver brief comic reprieve, and signal the imminent disintegration of an already stagnant regime.
Suffused with nostalgia, we observe Brezhnev-era Moscow cast in the lurid yellow light of street-lamps, or bleached white by lens flare, with an effortless attention to detail - Muscovites stand in endless queues on street corners as Soviet vehicles roam empty boulevards flanked by Socialist realist statues. Subterranean scenes add a noir aesthetic, reflecting the shades of deception throughout - in the words of Grigoriev; “I live in lies and solitude”.
Kusturica gives a shatteringly affecting performance, conveying Grigoriev’s wistful patriotism and hope for his son’s future with a rare eloquence. Carion creates real suspense and accommodates subtle plot twists, but there are no cheap thrills here- the film defies the brash conventions of its genre. Understated, fluid camerawork and dedicated performances deliver a film of classic style and depth.
Julie Hrischeva
Film details
Farewell (L'affaire Farewell)
Director: Christian Carion
Actor: Guillaume Canet
Actor: Emir Kusturica
Actor: Willem Dafoe
Actor: Guillaume Canet
Actor: Emir Kusturica
Actor: Willem Dafoe
France, 2009.
112 mins. with English subtitles.
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