A quiet drink with friends

Director Claire Denis reveals the complex ties between four people in "35 Shots of Rum"

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It takes “35 Shots of Rum” for Lionel (Alex Descas) to marka truly special occasion, and he doesn’t take that ritual lightly. There don’tseem to be many important moments in Lionel’s life: A handsome, thoughtfulwidower, he drives a metro train in Paris and lives with his college-age child,Josephine (Mati Diop), in a compact apartment. It’s a good thing he andJosephine get along; when they sit down to eat, there’s barely enough room attheir tiny dinner table for a rice steamer, a salad bowl and a couple ofplates.

Stories about dysfunctional families, in which parents andchildren regularly trade insults or rehash past battles, are so common it’sslightly jarring to see the cozy, low-key world director Claire Denis presents,in which dad and daughter treat each other respectfully and share moments oftrue compassion. We keep waiting for something to go horribly wrong, for acrisis to turn Lionel and Jo against each other, but Denis defies expectations.Instead of manufacturing melodrama, she’s content to focus on the quiet, easyflow of life.

So when “Rum” introduces Gabrielle (Nicole Dogue), a taxidriver with an all-too-obvious yen for Lionel, Denis gently indicates Jo’simpatience with Gaby without making a big deal out of it. Although Lionel andJo have apparently kept Gaby at arm’s length for years, she seems convinced herpersistence will eventually pay off.

Jo is intrigued by Noe (Gregoire Colin), an old friend ofthe family, whose late parents owned an apartment in the building. Noe drops bywhenever he’s taking a break from touring the world; his restlessness connectswith something deep inside Jo’s own soul. In a more formulaic film, Lionelwould lay guilt trips on Jo and try to hold her back. Instead, he encouragesher to follow her own course.

“Don’t feel I need to be looked after,” he tells her. “Justfeel free.”

But freedom isn’t something that comes naturally to any ofthese characters. There’s a strong sense that Lionel has never truly reboundedfrom his wife’s death. Gaby, of course, keeps carrying a torch for a man whotolerates but does not embrace her. While Noe flies away regularly, he doesn’tseem to get much satisfaction from his temporary escapes. Jo moves from herclasses to her job as a Virgin Megastore cashier to her household duties.

Lionel’s train and Gaby’s cab take other people places whilethe drivers themselves basically go in circles around the city, eventuallyending up back where they started.

In the key sequence of “Rum,” Lionel, Jo, Gaby and Noe endup in a café, where they each take turns on the dancefloor. Lionel dances firstwith Gaby, then with Jo. Noe cuts in and dances with Jo, while Lionel sitsdown. Then comes an unexpected development that may offer a hint of what’s tocome. Almost no dialogue is exchanged, but Denis conveys exactly what’s goingon in the minds of each of the characters by letting the camera linger on theirfaces, their eyes and their body language.

Viewers who insist on stories with clear beginnings, middlesand ends may find “Rum” too mellow and subtle. Denis and co-writer Jean-PolFargeau don’t explain every detail or highlight each plot point, leaving someof Lionel, Jo, Noe and Gaby’s background for us to fill in. As in life, someissues are resolved at the end of the day and others are not, although there’sa clear indication all the various relationships are about to be re-evaluatedand altered.

“Nothing will change,” Lionel tells Jo, reassuringly. “Yes,”she answers. “Everything will.”

She’s right. And Lionel will eventually run through those 35shots.

“35 Shots of Rum”

Presented by East Lansing Film Series
7 and 9:15 p.m. Friday, March 19, Saturday, March 20 and Sunday, March 21
Wells Hall, Michigan State University
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday, March 25
Hannah Community Center, 819 Abbot Road, East Lansing
$7 adults, $5 seniors, $3 students
www.elff.com

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