Abel & Gordon’s The Falling Star

Lima Syndrome is the opposite of Stockholm Syndrome, but can the phenomenon really happen if the abductee does not know he has been kidnapped? That question will be debated in this French caper, but can it really be considered a thriller when it features so many visual gags and dancing numbers? Dominique Abel & Fiona Gordon apply their singular Jacques Tati-inspired style to film noir genre in The Falling Star, which opens this Friday in New York.

Years ago, Boris called in a bomb-threat on behalf of one of his leftwing causes, but the ensuing mayhem turned ugly. Since then, he has laid low, working as the bartender at the neighborhood dive, the Falling Star, while reliving the carnage every night in his dreams. Then one day, the one-armed Georges walks into the bar seeking revenge, but he is forced to retreat when his first shot dislodges his prosthetic.

Fearing Georges (or someone more competent) will soon return, Boris’s wife Kayoko and their loyal bouncer Tim hatch a scheme to find a double for the domestic terrorist, who will die in his place. Initially, it seems like Dom perfectly fits the bill. However, they do not realize the morose loner has a wife, Fiona the private detective, who soon starts looking for her missing husband. To really complicate matters, Kayoko falls in love with her husband’s sacrificial doppelganger. Of course, Georges is still out there, having survived several of Kayoko’s attempts to induce massive heart failure. Naturally, it all culminates in an extended dance number.

Abel & Gordon, the duo that produced the wonderfully gentle Lost in Paris and The Fairy, are incredibly bold filmmakers. Nobody else would dare make a slapstick musical comedy featuring domestic terrorists and a couple grieving their tragically deceased child as the main characters. Potentially, it is a tonal minefield, but they charge right in, trusting their aesthetic instincts. The results are poignantly bittersweet and deeply humanistic. Yet, the crazy part is, all the mysterious intrigue still works on a genre level.

Abel & Gordon’s rubber-faced aptitude for physical comedy is matched, or even exceeded, by Kaori Ito, a trained dancer and choreographer. As Kayoko, she demonstrates feet that are just as dexterous as poor Georges’ hands. Bruno Romy, Abel & Gordon’s co-director on their earlier films, portrays the archetypal one-armed man with dignity, even under very messy and extreme conditions. Yet, Abel & Gordon surpass their melancholy as the acutely sad clowns, Dom and Fiona.

Frankly, it is amazing how well this film works. In many respects, it is a simple production, but it is loaded with artistry and originality. Very highly recommended, The Falling Star opens this Friday (8/30) at the Quad.