'The Fall of the American Empire' takes an unusual look at whether money CAN buy happiness (review)
Alexandre Landry and Maripier Morin star in writer-director Denys Arcand's comedy-crime film "The Fall of the American Empire."
By Chuck Yarborough, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio — If an American writer-director came up with a movie that began with a bungled robbery and a philosophical delivery truck driver opting to pick up the discarded gym bags of cash and get involved with gangs, an equally brilliant high-priced hooker and an ex-con biker known as "Brains," it'd be one of those gunfight-every-90-seconds flicks.
But when a politically savvy Canadian writer director like Denys Arcand conceives the idea, it becomes grounds for a philosophical sermon, delivered with the hubris of being in French, with English subtitles, and lacking only a Pagliacci-style Harlequin soliloquy you know that this is Art, with a capital A.
Or is it? Maybe we have become spoiled by all the Marvel universe special effects that are dominating movie screens now, but this one is pretty much a mind game. And that's what's different about it. There's nothing spoonfed here. You have to think your way through the film.
Pierre-Paul (Alexandre Landry) is a delivery truck driver who grew up poor but was so bright that he was able to earn a doctorate in philosophy. Unfortunately, he was also so bright that he realized teaching -- even at a university level -- pays less than delivering packages. Could that be the first stage in the "fall?"
He's also a good guy, a champion of Montreal's hordes of homeless, volunteering at shelters and food pantries, stopping each time he passes one to drop a few coins in his cup (yeah, we get it!), etc. So when he comes into more money than he ever expected to see as a result of that bungled robbery, you just know he's got a dilemma.
The film's oft-repeated premise is "Money can buy happiness," but the philosophic-minded Pierre-Paul has to figure out if that's true, first off, then conceive of a way to actually do it if it is . . . oh, and not get made dead by the gang that wants their money back or arrested by the police, who will get a cut of it if they recover it.
Naturally, the beautiful escort Aspasie/Camille Lafontaine (did I mention Pierre-Paul's obsession with Greek philosophy, which drew him to this particular "escort" for her choice of a "working girl" name associated with Socrates and Plutarch?), played by Maripier Morin also happens use her gifts to do good, also a heart of gold, and came from equally simple roots.
It's like this whole thing was scripted or something! Just so many coincidences! Um, too many?
Seems like everyone who comes in contact with Pierre-Paul discovers his or her inner goodness, like he's some sort of Johnny Appleseed spreading decency, and the biggest wonder is whether the omniscient scriptwriter will let it play out for good . . . or for naught.
There are some sweet moments in the film, and a couple of extremely violent ones, quite frankly, not enough to earn the film's R rating. But overall, the movie is just a question mark. And one of the biggest is why the title is "The Fall of the American Empire," since it's set in Canada. In this case, it's probably a reference to the continent, not the country. There are a few oblique references that bring that into question.
But without Captain America, it's hard to be sure.
The Fall of the American Empire
Who: Written and directed by Denys Arcand; in French, with English subtitles; starring Alexandre Landry, Maripier Morin and Remy Girard.
When: Opens Friday, July 12, at the Cedar Lee Theatre in Cleveland Heights.
Rated: R for violence, sexual content and language.
Running time: 127 minutes.
Grade: C.