Let It Rain (Parlez-moi de la pluie) Review
By David Kempler
It's Raining Warm Smiles
What a pleasure it can be to be manipulated in a good way. Agnès Jaoui does it just right in her latest, "Let It Rain". Early on we have a disparate but fascinating set of characters that aren't doing very much, or at least that is the overall impression from what she was giving us. But like all good directors, she is weaving from the get-go.
While we are meeting our major participants, we are struck by how non-important they are and how little meat we are being fed, in terms of story. Yet, at some point, in an almost imperceptible way, we find ourselves immersed in a tale of absolute delight that is primarily drawing its strength from the incredibly real-feeling people on the screen. Every one of them could be someone you already know. At the very least, it is easy to identify them as genuine.
When conducting a character study, such as the one Ms. Jaoui is running here, the most important factor is that the players become three-dimensional, and here is where she hits the bulls-eye. By the end, there is not one whose life we don't feel like we are a part of, to a point that even if we don't like particularly like them we can't help but have at least a soft spot for them.
"Let It Rain" is funny. Not laugh-out-loud-funny. It's more of a smile inducer than anything else. Everyone is skewered to some degree, but never with even a hint of meanness. It's an ultra-gentle lampooning, that any of us could be subject to. No one is evil or a total idiot, but everyone is slightly out-of-touch with their own selves, just like everyone in the audience.
To tell you what "Let It Rain" is about would almost be a disservice, because it's really not about anything other than people, becoming more self-aware, and learning to accept the shortcomings of those around them. It's a film where the reward comes from admiring the resiliency of people, even if they are not always learning and growing. But even the characters that experience no epiphany, move forward, in a way that makes us feel warm and self-assured that the world can be a good place to live in.
No, I haven't told you anything about the plot, because the plot is unnecessary before you watch "Let It Rain". Just let the gentle rain fall upon you and ease your troubles and stresses away. It's all effortless and rewarding.
