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Good movie but grossly overrated

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

This movie is good.The concept is simple, two strangers meet up by chance, and fall in love. However unlike the love films we are accustomed to, this film, ends on a somewhat positive yet open note.There is mostly quiet movie, but like the Japanese film Dolls (which I reviewed just a few minutes ago) the lack of dialogue works. This is a movie about love and just a night together in both the crowded and deserted parts of the city (which are deserted because of the congestion). The main point of the movie is what the stars are doing, sitting in the car together, meeting up again, eating together, sleeping together, and just getting along and being friends and lovers.The movie is also well shot with some nice shots of Paris and and appealing looking hotel and restaurant.9 out of 10.

By Claire Denis' standards, this film is a little slight. Which is not to say that it isn't great, but considering she is one of the greatest filmmakers working today (in my opinion of course), anything less than a flat-out masterpiece (as is the case with "Beau travail", "Trouble Every Day", and "L'Intrus") has to be considered a lesser effort from her. The visuals here are as ravishingly beautiful as anything she has ever done (or anything else by anyone I've seen for that matter), but the story (to the extent there is one) is a bit thin to support them. I'm always a fan of minimal plot, but this felt a little empty and sort of contrived. I could have also done without the occasional moments of magical realism that threatened to push the film uncomfortably toward cutesy, whimsical "Amelie" territory. The somewhat over-embellishing music didn't help in this respect either. In many other respects, this film comes as close to perfectly epitomizing what i look for in a film as anything I have seen (elliptical plot, minimal dialogue, endless moody shots of blurry florescent lights through windshields!). I wish all the perfect film-making had been applied to a more substantial narrative though. I like that the film strips the story down to it's barest essentials, but the story itself feels slightly trivial and flimsy.

This movie gets a lot of unjust criticism. People watch this movie expecting some kind of action-filled plot sequence, but this movie is made to convey a feeling; it conveys emotion and does so beautifully. This film conveys lust and some other emotions that don't even have names well, and it can only be known once it has been seen. Don't watch this movie looking for a twisting plot, just look at it as a piece of work that will make you feel... not think. I recommend turning off subtitles and listening to the french. Even if you don't speak it, the words are not important. What's important is that you leave your heart open for emotional stimulation.

"Friday Night" is a slow moving bit of relatively uneventful voyeurism in which the camera follows a woman around observing her activities during one Friday night. In the first twenty minutes you'll see Laure (Lemercier) pack up her belongings, bathe, dress, get in her car, hit the bricks, and get bogged down in a traffic jam. I ran through most of this inconsequential French artie in x2 mode slowing down occasionally for the sparse dialogue. Although what meager substance there is in this film is well done, is simply isn't enough for a full length feature. (C+)