Great Film overall

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Beautiful scenary and setting. Although nothing really stands out except for the beautiful location. French people in general are not really that friendly so I don't really buy that quick connection with the couple in the next room. In fact speaking of that couple, they were ordinary, irritating French guy thinking only of sex and the flat chested younger French lady who acted like a child in many respects.. Anyway who would want to get to know Angelina and Brad characters in this movie. Both were unlikeable, in particular Angelina. Skeletal Angelina! Also that peephole how the hell did the French couple next door not notice that? Why would you go on holiday to play cards with the foreigners next room? Why did they seem to spend the entire vacation on the balcony or in the room? Why did Angelina want to show off her redesigned boobs so much? What was the point of it all. Who cares. Never want to watch again.

This movie is boring and very slow paced, maybe too long for the theme. Jolie's character is extremely annoying and depressive. Nothing emotional, just a couple trying to save the marriage as they go through the mid-life crisis and each of them share a bizarre passion for spying the younger neighbors. Awkward. The setting is beautiful though, southern France is fascinating, for sure. Melanie Laurent does a nice supporting role and the atmosphere is dark and melancholic.

A rich seventies couple - Roland and Vanessa, played by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie - visit a remote Mediterranean paradise to stay for a while in the hopes that he might get passed his writer's block and she might get over.... something. With him indulging in too much drink and her indulging in too much of absolutely nothing, progress seems to be very poor - at least until a second, younger honeymoon couple arrive at the same hotel. Judged by its indifferent scores and very underwhelming box office take you might dismiss this film as a vanity project hatched by an actress with more money than talent - but that would be very unfair. In Angelina Jolie's Wikipedia page "episodes of depression" are mentioned and in this film it seems clear that she's addressing these and other demons from her own past even if the basic plot is fictional. This is not the kind of subject matter suited to an entertaining evening with a romantic dinner or after a curry and a pint (substitute non-UK alternatives here if you wish). This never was a film that even targeted at big box office.Is it a good depiction of depression? I'm lucky enough not to have personal experience here so I don't know. But I do feel that I learned something and in that Jolie must have succeeded - for that most surely have been her true goal. And I respect her for taking on the challenge.The film isn't perfect though. Even with the chosen subject matter, the pace is sometimes a little slow and the new interest that Vanessa eventually finds and shares with Roland is a little creepy. (If the gender roles were reversed I'm sure it would be judged as great deal worse than creepy.)Overall, though, if you feel up to trying to understand something of depression from the inside, this might be a good place to start.

Beautifully shot, I admit partly too superficial in some parts, but other parts are really well done - some really great constructed scenes to capture that moment in the story.I did forward bits of this film because it did drag in a few places - I think this would be perfect and easily told as a short film instead of a feature - there's not enough content to the story, many scenes not really needed to tell it, hence it felt very slow and hard to follow (unless you're quite happy to be distracted without any concentration during those times).Again, there were a few moments of really great acting for part of the story as with the plot, others again maybe a bit too self-indulgent dramatics maybe thought of as good to show for 'complex' character, but can come across as superficial and OTT in how emotions were shown.You can tell there's a lot of effort gone in to a great 'look'ing film (scene shots, costume etc.), but it's not enough to compensate the overall content used to tell what could be a much shorter story.