Beijing Bicycle and Monsieur Batignole

• Beijing Bicycle (2002) Talented filmmaker Wang Xiaoshuai illustrates the complex social hierarchy in contemporary Beijing through a simple storyline about two boys and a bike – China’s emblem of wealth and resourcefulness. Guei (Cui Lin) is a poor country folk who finds a job in the city as a bike messenger. The shiny new silver bike is on loan until Guei can pay it off. As Guei gets attached to the bike, it gets stolen. Eventually it leads him to Jian (Li Bin), a poor city folk who wants the bike to impress his friends and a girl.
  Although it tends to drag at certain places, the fantastic young talent is worth checking out. It won the Grand Jury Prize (Silver Bear) New Talent Award (Cui Lin and Li Bin) at the Berlin International Film Festival.



• The year is 1942, France is under occupation by Germany and this provides the time and backdrop for the film Monsieur Batignole, directed by Gerard Jugnot. Essentially, the film follows Monsieur Batignole and his attempt to hide a young jewish boy and his cousins and deliver them to safety in Switzerland. Click on the link above to learn more about the film, or for those of you that can't read french, like myself, click here to view this unofficial site.
  John does not recommend the film as he found the characters to be underdeveloped, and their relationships to each other unbelievable. He found some scenes were just impossible to happen. For example, in one scene, Batignole has to retrieve a hidden picture from within a German officer's bureau. Batignole knows exactly where to go, as if he has some kind of internal built-in radar. This is but one of several incidents that occur throughout the film which for John, affected its credibility and made for a disappointing experience.
  
  

Unfortunately, no show was broadcast this week. Stay tuned for another exciting edition next week.