La Moustache

Married couple Marc (Vincent Lindon) and Agnès (Emmanuelle Devos) seem perfectly cozy, even complacent, in their spacious apartment in Paris. Until, that is, Marc decides to shave off his moustache. When Agnès sees his face, she doesn't say anything…nor does anyone else. Perplexed and hurt, Marc confronts his wife and some friends, but everyone denies that he ever had a moustache. Thus begins a chain of unnerving events that challenge Marc's perceptions of reality. Is Marc going insane, or is he the victim of a conspiracy, or is he caught in some cheesy Star Trek-like time warp? Directed by Emmanuel Carrère, who adapted his own novel, La Moustache's increasing sense of dislocation, mesmerizing cinematography, swatches of melancholy music (from a gorgeous score by Philip Glass), and seeming breaches of narrative logic all add up to unsurpassed eeriness. A bizarre tale of a man who just wanted to be noticed, this is highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette, interview with the director and editor, and a trailer. Bottom line: a small but solid extras package for an intriguing film.] (T. Keogh)