NEW Trouble Every Day (DVD)

First of all, I would have never known about this film except that I happen to like Tindersticks who performed the haunting soundtrack to this equally haunting film. Just knowing that Tindersticks had something to do with it convinced me that Trouble Every Day was probably a worthwhile addition to my DVD collection. And indeed it is.

The first time I watched the film, I found it interesting in a strange way, but did not completely understand it. The clamshell was no help, the seller I bought it from here on amazon sent me a Chinese (bootleg?) edition that nevertheless played perfectly but provided no further information to those who cannot read Chinese. (The film is in English with a smattering of French thrown in. Subtitles are available.) So I watched without really knowing what to expect besides the tidbits I'd gleaned from reading the reviews.

The second time through, I understood it better. Leo Semenau, a renegade researcher into the workings of the human libido, had a wife who was satisfied only by killing and partially devouring her sexual partner. I don't want to give away the whole story, but you'll see that after Dr Semenau discovers his wife's proclivity, he is forced to barricade her in his home whenever he goes to work. Trouble is, she manages to get out and claim another victim. Then, let's just say, there's trouble every day.

Where does the American couple fit in? It seems that Shane used to work with Dr Semenau in French Guyana and had read some of his research and as it turns out at one time was interested in the woman who became Semenau's wife. Shane had the same problem as Semanau's wife and had come while on honeymoon to seek out Semenau in the hope that he had found a cure. Shane is ashamed that he can't consummate his marriage because of his problem, but he dare not tell his demure wife why.

Now Semenau had left the research lab where he had worked and went into general practice as an MD, but at his fortress-like home he maintained a brain research lab and a greenhouse full of tropical plants which are the likely source of the omnipresent pills you see in the movie. Tension builds, the next sex-killing is more graphic and gruesome, and it all ends with the listener wondering whether or not the devouring of the maid has cured Shane, or will his beloved bride June become his next victim?

Confused? You bet! Like a David Lynch movie, this riveting film will have you going back time and again trying to figure out what happened and why. Its brutal, sometimes humorous, and often sexy in its own way. If you like weird films, well here is one you won't forget! And the eerie Tindersticks soundtrack is just one more reason to watch and listen.

This is one of the most beautifully done films that I've ever seen. I wish that more filmmakers had the nerve to make something so emotionally charged and thought provoking. It is certainly one of the best horror films that I've ever seen, (and horror is my favorite genre). Despite some of the naysaying, Vincent Gallo gives a wonderful performance. He barely manages to hold all of his character's extreme tension back, showing us a man who is always on the verge of cracking. When he does crack, there is at least some sense of temporary relief for him. However he is racked with guilt because of his actions. The guilt and self-loathing that are eventually produced by said actions start the cycle of his sad and horrid life all over again. I have to say that I've haven't seen a film that can sicken, delight, provoke sympathy, and excite the imagination quite like this one. It is a unique piece of cinema and I am glad that Denis had the guts to make it. Bravo to her and her crew and cast. A testament to the Theatre of Cruelty.

VERY subtle french horror flick, that's very light on the dialogue
The obscure intricacies of the plot alone make this a film that merits multiple viewings, if just to get the story 100% straight.
Within it's subtlety though, also lies it's violence,
but not so much as to turn viewers away.
American newlyweds visit France,
so the husband can find his colleague;
a scientist he worked with on an experiment involving the human libido.
The scientist (Leo) he is seeking, is secretly keeping his own wife locked in a room, on the second floor of his giant home.
This is due to her hyper-active sex-drive which leads her to acts of murder & savage cannibalism.
Some days while he's at work though,
she just gets out and causes some sultry, blood-spattered mayhem.
Often picking up truckers, to kill & consume in a nearby field.
Not only does the good doctor have to worry about his mentally primal wife,
but he also has to contend with nosey teenage neighbors breaking in,
in an attempt to foolishly rescue the mad-lover.
All of this culminates quite violently in the end.
But once again, though it's gorey, it is quite subtle,
if you can believe that.

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Sometimes you love someone so much, you just could just eat them....literally.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 9 reviews  3.8 out of 5 stars