Cinema Society

MOBILE HOME

Average
Rating

2.5

Tuesday, January 15, 2013, AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15

On Screen: 4:30pm or 7:30pm (You Pick!)

AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres (Auditorium #9)

Cinema Chat and Introduction begins 15 minutes prior to screenings

Discussion follows screenings

In Association with the Consulate-General of Belgium

Salute to Filmmaker Francois Pirot

FRANCOIS PIROT:

Born in Bastogne, Belgium, in 1977, François Pirot took a degree in performing arts and broadcasting techniques at the IAD institute of Media Arts in Louvain-la-Neuve, with a major in directing. He went on to direct several short films that were picked up by numerous international festivals. François Pirot is also an actor and screenwriter. He was in the cast for ÇA REND HEUREUX (2006), by Joachim Lafosse, with whom he wrote the screenplays for the film PRIVATE PROPERTY (2006) – in competition at the Venice Film Festival – and PRIVATE LESSONS (2008), which was included in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes. Mobile Home is his first full-length feature.

MOBILE HOME

After breaking up with his girlfriend and quitting his job, Simon goes back to his small hometown in the countryside, where he meets up with his old friend Julien. The two thirty-year-old men decide to revisit an old dream from their teenage years: hitting the road for an adventurous journey. They buy a huge motorhome, but the trip is delayed by various troubles, and they decide to start their journey... on the spot. Through this first motionless stage of their trip, the two friends, confronted by themselves and what they wanted to run away from, start taking different paths...

Running Time: 95 Minutes

Please Note: MOBILE HOME is in French with English subtitles

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20-Jan-13: Dr. Arianne Weiner - Rating: 5

I truly loved this film! This is the exact reason why my friends, Jane Jellinek, Ellen Soldinger and I joined Cinema Society for the out of the ordinary, independent films supported with conversation like we experienced this past Tuesday. To us this is the true meaning of the Cinema Society. To be able to hear directly from the writer/directors of small independent films like the adorable and charming Francois Pirot was sheer delight! Even the comments from our viewers and questions were terrific! We had a great dialogue, he was very insightful and it was unbelievable to have a writer/ director there -absolutely fabulous!

I enjoyed watching these two boys struggle with becoming men in a world full of options and how trapped they were in their own development, searching for answers that were really within themselves the entire time and in their own backyards. It was a very sweet little movie. The music, the setting, the dialogue, the symbolism and addressing the contemporary issues of growing up in today’s world were all there. We could also see that these issues are not ours alone, as sad as that may be, it is what it is for so many young and not so young adults in contemporary society. Even the quality of the film, though Pirot apologized for it, seemed quite fitting and I never thought differently until it was brought up. Everyone could relate to this film, a universal theme of growing up and facing life as an adult; truly thought provoking.

Thank you Andy as this is something we would never have seen had you not brought this film to our community. May we continue to see these types of movies over something we can see five in days before they are released. Bravo!

18-Jan-13: Mroe - Rating: 3

I think if I hadn’t had to keep reading the subtitles I might have just dozed off here and there. It’s also nice to see we aren’t the only country raising a bunch of spoiled self-entitled children/adults. I did have more sympathy for Julien because I think he wanted to do the right thing by his Dad but he had not grown up enough to not want to be liked or get the approval of his childhood pal Simon. This was a fairly predictable movie and nothing to write home about.

16-Jan-13: David - Rating: 4

A few years back we saw the film ABOUT SCHMIDT with Jack Nicholson. MOBILE HOME had a similar pace, plot, and feel. Jack’s character had lost his wife, recently retired, and had bought a camper to travel and visit his far-flung kids. ABOUT SCHMIDT from Wikipedia, “Events compel him (Jack)to reflect on his life with a sense of futility that lasts until the final moments of the film.” I thought ABOUT SCHMIDT was a good film that made you think; the same can be said of MOBILE HOME.

16-Jan-13: Carol - Rating: 1

I usually don't comment, but as a very long time Cinema Society member, I must say that in every respect, this film was definitely not up to the usual standards of the films that are shown. It was tedious!! I'm still not sure what the point was. The best part was when it ended.

16-Jan-13: Jim - Rating: 2

I did enjoy the music, the scenery too, but not as much. These boys were 30? Really? more like 18 or so, and it was not really enjoyable watching them confront reality. Some funny lines every once and a while, but funny as in high school. Those that missed it did not miss much. I hate to be rude to the director that came so far, but our standards are higher than this, his should be too. the script let him down.

16-Jan-13: Sioux - Rating: 2

There were a few funny or poignant moments, but for the most part, I found the movie boring and tedious. Like others, I really didn't care about these men and their "failure to launch."

16-Jan-13: Paul - Rating: 3

I judged this in light of it being a first effort by a new feature film writer/director. I enjoyed and appreciated the film and the premise but certainly would not consider it an important, tightly constructed movie that I would easily recommend others to go see. I am heading to Sundance tomorrow; I would not be surprised to see a movie such as this in the Midnight series. That is not a criticism, it is just a reflection of the early stage of the creators craft.

16-Jan-13: susan - Rating: 4

Thank you for bringing us this delightful film which is just the kind of offering I would like to see more of at the Cinema Society. Thoughtful, thought-provoking, touching -- just overall a very good film from this first-time director. Sometimes European pacing takes some getting used to, but I was looking at it with post-film-festival eyes so it seemed to me to move right along. I enjoyed the director's comments also. Bravo!

16-Jan-13: jh - Rating: 4

Even jet-lagged Francois Pirot is a funny man. In the first half of MOBILE HOME many laughs filled Auditorium 9. Simon and Julien were the continental equivalent of Beavis and Butthead, laughing at their own and each other's sophmoric humor. Then midway through, Pirot turned serious and the plot thickened as Simon and Julien were forced to re-evaluate the "road trip" with interesting results. MOBILE HOME was slow (but measured), well-written, and, most of all, nostalgic as I imagine most of us have a trip of discovery in our pasts.

15-Jan-13: Georgi - Rating: 1

Simon--one of the two main characters seemed to say everything twice. "I'm fine. I'm fine." "I'll be there. I'll be there." "Let's go. Let's go." "This sucks. This sucks." I agree with his last statement. It totally did. One plus...pretty good music..

15-Jan-13: Margaret Downing - Rating: 1

Interesting premise -- a road trip that never gets on the road. Unfortunately, the movie doesn't get on the road either. I simply did not care what happened to those two 30 year old babies and their mobile home. I am certain Belgian cinema has more to offer.

15-Jan-13: RichG - Rating: 1

Where do I go to get my two hours back? This "movie" had no socially redeeming values. The writing was pointless. The direction was just not any good. The scenery was boring. Worst of all, however was the quality of the film itself. The director came to The Cinema Society with a scratched up lackluster disc. You would think a first rate presentation was in order. It was not to be. Belgium should stick to chocolate and diamonds. Leave the filmmaking to other countries.