At the Berlinale, “The Beast in the Jungle” takes us on the dance floor of a nightclub for three decades

In the early days of the Berlinale, we go from one screening to another, out of time, as if suspended… And here is Patric Chiha levitating us by locking us in a nightclub. His fifth feature film, The Beast in the Junglefreely adapted from the eponymous novel by Henry James (published in 1903), is one of the pleasant surprises of this 73e edition, which takes place until February 26.

Presented in the Panorama section, the film by the Austrian filmmaker (Boys Like Us, Brothers of the NightSi was love) features two characters who miss out on their lives over almost three decades: their names are May (Anaïs Demoustier) and John (Tom Mercier), they are very attached to each other, but prefer not to not pair up, waiting for something to happen. It is ” the thing “repeats John.

As in the book, John is convinced that a particular destiny is reserved for him. And he has to wait for it to happen. It’s his secret, he had given it to May a long time ago, one summer evening, before losing sight of her. Then he finds her by chance, years later, in the most popular nightclub in the capital. In front of the door works a formidable physiognomist, interpreted by Béatrice Dalle. Dark under her black cape, she could be the female counterpart of Charon, who in Greek mythology takes souls to the kingdom of the dead. Welcome to a strange paradise.

Night life

Everything seems to be equal with John, including not having a history with May. He does not want to take the risk of loving, prefers to remain friends with her, it is the assurance of not getting lost, he says. But the worm is in the fruit, or the “beast” lurking in the tapestry. From 1979 to 2004, John and May find themselves exclusively in clubs, in the midst of a fauna of friends. Which little by little disperses, decimated by AIDS.

Anaïs Demoustier releases her glamorous side by playing a sophisticated, free, party-loving woman – at least at the start of the film. May likes to dress up for going out, dares to wear outfits that she wouldn’t wear during the day, or in “normal times” one would say – as if there were extraordinary weather. It is precisely this nocturnal life, what remains after a day (of work, or something else) that interests Patric Chiha, as a space for reinvention. John with a monotonous voice has no rhythm, does not work. The Israeli actor sculpts a block of melancholy, static, against which the young woman will come up against.

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The minimalist framework of the screenplay, co-written with Axelle Ropert and Jihane Chouaib, ricochets towards other captivating characters, such as the “pee” gentleman from the nightclub (Pedro Cabanas) who sees everything, or May’s wonderful friend who seems there for eternity (choreographer Sophie Demeyer).

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