Audio transcription

One of Claire Denis' most moving and accessible works, the recent 35 Shots of Rum is a melancholy homage to the great Yasujiro Ozu and in particular his Late Spring (1949), echoing the Japanese master's delicate exploration of the deep devotion between a father and his daughter who is on the verge of leaving home. Denis' version is based on the story of her own mother and grandfather who were gradually pulled apart from one another by conflicting romantic love interests. Godard's cinematography provides indispensable support for the film's narrative which is built on an elliptical series of quotidian events. A bold use of rich, saturated colors, both light and dark, gives 35 Shots of Rum an engrossing texture, a sense of vital warmth and familiarity. – DP