Suspended Time
During COVID, it was interesting to see how filmmakers approached storytelling when it comes to social distancing. Seeing how filmmakers would find a way to tell that story is one of the more compelling aspects of how such stories are being told after the fact. In his latest film, writer-director Olivier Assayas acts as narrator and storyteller in a story about a filmmaker who isolates with his girlfriend- a documentary filmmaker- his brother (a musical journalist), and his brother’s girlfriend at his parent’s home for a time. Tensions arise, anxieties are revealed, and the world feels different. Going about normal business is not really an option anymore. What about afterwards?
We do hear Assayas’s voice on the soundtrack at times; in a sense, he is telling his own story with “Suspended Time,” not just in the narrative itself but the setting. We are given given context clues as to the authenticity that exists in the production design of the home that Paul (Vincent Macaigne), the filmmaker, and Etienne (Micha Lescot), the music journalist, grew up in. This is basically his parent’s home, and his story. In Paul, he has created a character who feels very genuine in the anxiety they feel about COVID, and what that means to how they will tell stories during this time. In trying to be authentic, there are times when his characters act almost inauthentically, especially in moments of great anxiety and stress, but there are beautiful moments when they remember things like a shoot where they had salsa music non-stop; have an interview where they discuss the future of the industry; and- in Etienne’s case- he has to improvise a set up for a radio interview. These little moments of character made the movie for me.
One of the things I appreciate most about “Suspended Time” is how it gets to the mundanity of lockdown and social distancing. It was surreal for me to not have to go to work, the first time since 2007 and my medical leave, and it threw off my life in ways that I’m still adjusting to. But being isolated from the community that I’d built up for that long was a challenge. Etienne seems more comfortable, and also seems to think a bit looser when it comes to COVID as Paul. Ultimately, however, they find some peace, and are able to connect, even with their differing personalities and views. Paul is the character we follow through to the epilogue, however, and he is Assayas’s stand-in. Taken as a whole, I feel like we learn a lot about the filmmaker, while also being told a thoughtful story.
