Alice and Martin (Alice et Martin) (R) No Rating

True love often runs a troubled course, but rarely has it posed more problems for viewers than in this disjointed romantic drama.

Story

After a painful childhood as the illegitimate son of a harsh father, semi-nutso pretty boy Martin (Alexis Loret) makes his way to Paris, where he finds quick success as an Armani model and wins the heart of strong-willed violinist Alice ("The English Patient's" Juliette Binoche). But the memory of his unhappy upbringing and dark deeds past eats at the sullen protagonist's mind. Can Alice piece together the details of his tortured history before viewers tune out completely?

Acting

As usual, the sympathetic Binoche dominates the film with her intelligence and radiant humanity. The complexity and emotional precision of her work is the main reason to watch the flick. Loret makes a strong impression in his feature film debut, though he's mostly only called upon to stand around looking hunky and give us the occasional brooding frown. Mathieu Almaric provides compelling support as Martin's conflicted gay half-brother.

Direction

French auteur Andre Techine, whose complex, sensitive work in films such as "Wild Reeds" and "Thieves" made him an art-house favorite in the States, loses his grip on "Alice and Martin's" narrative early on. Skipping sequences crucial to the logical flow of the story, putting too much emphasis on a "mystery" plot point with an obvious resolution, he delivers a drama that is all the more frustrating to watch for the fine work that goes into individual scenes. His loose approach to story structure, which proved so refreshing in the 1993 ensemble drama "My Favorite Season," strips "Alice and Martin" of momentum, wasting all the gorgeous visuals he's conjured up with cinematographer Caroline Champetier.

Bottom Line

Moviegoers' hard-earned francs would be better spent renting Techine's more memorable earlier work.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Starring Juliette Binoche, Alexis Loret, Carmen Maura, Jean-Pierre Lorit and Mathieu Almaric.

Directed by Andre Techine. Produced by Alain Sarde. Screenplay by Andre Techine and Gilles Taurand. Released by USA Films.