Sindre Kaspersen Chilean screenwriter, producer, teacher and director Raúl Ruiz' 51st feature film which he co-wrote with French screenwriter Gilles Taurand is an adaptation of the seventh and final volume of the novel "Remembrance of Things Past" by French author, essayist and critic Marcel Proust (1871-1922), which was published between 1913 and 1927. It premiered In competition at the 52nd Cannes Film Festival in 1999, was shot on location in Paris, France and is a France-Italy-Portugal co-production which was produced by Portuguese producer Paulo Branco. It tells the story about an anonymous man whom whilst on his deathbed in the home of his friend Gilberte, begins to think about the time when he had just been released from a sanatorium and was a young aspiring writer during the First World War in Paris, France.Distinctly and precisely directed by filmmaker Raúl Ruiz (1941-2011), this quiet and somewhat surreal period piece which is narrated by French producer, actor and filmmaker Patrice Chéreau and from multiple viewpoints, draws a reflective and incisive portrayal of an early 20th century writer's internal odyssey through his memories during the last hours before his death. While notable for its colorful milieu depictions, the exquisite production design by production designer Bruno Beaugé, cinematography by Argentine cinematographer Ricardo Aranovich, costume design by French costume designer Caroline de Vivaise and Italian costume designer Gabriella Pescucci and the fine film editing by French film editor Denise de Casabianca, this dialog-driven and at times humorous story, depicts an insightful study of character and contains a great and timely score by composer Jorge Arrigada.This poignantly atmospheric and finely paced drama about an introspective man's relationship to the world that surrounds him, the women he as befriended or had relations with, his memories and time in itself, contains an efficient score by Chilean composer Jorge Arrigada, an array of variegated characters and is impelled and reinforced by its fragmented narrative structure and the reverent acting performances by Italian actor Marcello Mazzarella, American producer, actor and director John Malkovich, French actress Emmanuelle Béart, French actor Pascal Greggory, French screenwriter, actress and director Marie-France Pisier (1944-2011), Swiss actor Vincent Perez and French actress and singer Chiara Mastroianni. A romantic, detailed and picturesque independent film which gained the award for Best Cinematography Ricardo Aranovich at the Ourense International Independent Film Festival in Spain, 1999.

FloatingOpera7 Le Temps Retrouve or Time Regained (1999): Starring Marcello Mazarella, Vincent Perez, Catherine Deneuve, Emmanuelle Beart, John Malkovitch, Pascal Gregory, Marie-France Pisier, Chiara Mastriani, Arielle Dombasle, Edith Scob, Elsa Zyberstein, Christian Vadim, Dominique Labourier, Phillip Genoud, Melvil Poupad, Mathilde Seigner, Jacques Pieler, Hele Surgere, Andre Engel, Georges Du Fresne, Lucien Pascal, Jerome Prieur, Bernard Paitrat, Jean Claude Jay, Director Raoul Ruiz "In this book is written your life and the life of all men" said the Angel of Death, " to review it would take an eternity"...........Based on Marcel Proust's "Au Recherche Du Temps Perdu " or "Remembrance Of Things Past", largely considered not only a classic of French literature but possibly the world's longest literary work, this is director Raoul Ruiz' stunning film adaptation, released in 1999. This film received numerous awards, and the Cannes Film Festival ate it up, much like one long French banquet, complete with French wine. True to the novels (Swann's Way, Guermantez, Swann In Love), we follow the life of Marcel Proust, beginning with the end, that is, his death. Wracked with consumption, he is on his deathbed and his mind drifts from memory to memory, reliving his life and encountering all the people in it. Veteran French actress Catherine Deneuve stars as the brazen courtesan Odette. While perhaps Deneuve is too old for the part of a lively woman of leisure and lady of the night, she manages to capture the spirit of the character without a single flaw, being the terrific actress she is. John Malkovich turns his back on America momentarily to become French in the role of the Baron Du Charlus, who talks a big deal but is essentially a licentious and unsympathetic character. Vincent Perez is Morel, who engages in one affair after another (unlike Proust who appears to love only Odette and Gilberte (the beautiful and talented Emmanuelle Beart), his childhood sweetheart. Child actor Georges Du Fresne gets a lot of screen time as Marcel when he was a young boy. The most attractive aspects of the film, as everyone generally concurs, is the cinematography and art direction, which, while admittedly dreamy and glamorous, is quite frankly, Proustian. The camera moves freely, floating ghost-like between characters, giving us access to their conversations and private moments. There's a mix of intense natural sunlight and "evening" blue colors in the nightlife scenes. I can't describe how magical the movie's look truly is. The costumes are authentic to the Edwardian Era and World War I period (1900-1918). Though this film doesn't cover the historic aspects in too much detail (the various aristocratic characters i.e. the Guermantes, princes, dukes and princesses- speak of World War I, the German enemy and the aftermath of the Great War including the Spanish Flu Epidemic), the film manages to believably encompass a time and place, though perhaps the film "1900" does a better job of this. Fans of Marcel Proust will delighted, even if some portions are omitted but truthfully a film adaptation of the Proust "Time" cycle would take over 6 hours. Some people seem to miss some of the more shocking portions of the film. Proust was a bisexual writer who attempted to document the Belle Epoque as he lived it. In this film, we are presented with gay and lesbian characters - Albert and Albertine. There are two scenes which, subtle as they were, were quite powerful such as the scene in which Proust peeks in to Albert's bedroom door and discovers he has a sadomasichistic/erotic relationship with a male lover. Also, even while Proust is dying, he pays Odette money to perform oral sex on him. These little things are overlooked in the course of a long and beautiful film, with actors who truly live their role and give them nuance and color. One character in particular, Morel's American girlfriend, interjects the English words "It's absolutely disgusting!" during gossip of the Duchess and the Duke. This film is an enjoyable historic film, with a late 90's European film gloss and a feeling of respect and reverence for Marcel Proust. Wonderful and haunting, full of poignant moments and mesmerizing, at times magic realist moments. This film is sure to delight all Francophiles everywhere. Enjoy!

gmr-4 who seem to know their Proust, their film, or both. That said, I found the film excellent, and the fellow who said it was about boring people leading boring lives, well! How boring can it be when you hear the sounds of ordinance whilst turning out in evening clothes trying to keep a sense of civilisation? Although it might seem disjointed, I am given to understand that Proust's writing was hardly linear, so a motion picture presenting his point of view must perforce be somewhat tangled.TIME REGAINED, which I had the pleasure of seeing on big screen at the Detroit Institute of Arts, is truly beautiful. One gives not a sou whether it looks "expensive" as another (otherwise thoughtful) commentator says.Speaking of my fellow reviewers, I just got off the Comments list for 28 DAYS LATER. It is striking how seeming intelligent and articulate the people are who went out of their way to see a French film, trusting in sub-titles, as opposed to those who saw another foreign product because it was going to be scary or a "zombie" movie. One can learn from the TIME REGAINED lot, the same as the motion picture. I am not that well-read. Maybe when I finish reading that Zola novel I have been working on for over ten years, Proust will be next!

bjb15 I saw the film in the theater when it first came out. Now, I am viewing it once again on video. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to reading any Proust yet. But the film is beautiful. There is one scene in particular at a party I was quite taken by. Marcel is in this very crowded room,, where he seems to know everyone. yet, he seems to feel alone, detached form all the ridiculous social coteries and gossip. he finds comfort in his memories. the sound or smell or sight of something, instantly sends him back in time. he remembers an inconsequential moment. a moment in time when things were better, more bearable. or were they? did we really use our memories as a false comforting, a way to remember one's past as a better time, wishing things could be like that again. i loved the way raoul ruiz filmed it. the camera seems at moments to be floating in the air. at times, it seems the ground where the actors are situated is moving, rather than the camera itself. the acting is wonderful. and the music is eerily touching. a surreally satisfying film.