[PyrNet-L] A Couch in New York

["Patric S. Lundberg" <psl@ahabs.wisc.edu>]

The movie never had any cinema dates scheduled in the US according to
www.moviefinder.com, but was released on video by BMG Video on June
24th, 1997.  You can even purchase a copy from Reel.Com, log onto
http://movie.reel.com/moviepage/11668.html for some $17.  For some
(US) reason the movie is rated "R" - sounds odd considering the
subject matter...

The Pyr on the video box cover does look like a Golden, while the
pictures on the Swiss site (http://kino.ch/previews/c/CouchInNewYork)
clearly reveal a Pyr (although not completely white... ;-)

For those who have an even harder time with the German review that can
be found on the Swiss site than me, an English commentary can be found
at a Dutch site
(http://www.iffrotterdam.nl/FFR/96/cat/page/get/f17699a.shtml):

"Burlesque comedy made on a large budget by the mistress of small and
often serious independent films. A temporary apartment swap between a
man in New York and a girl in Paris leads to hilarious developments.
Henry (William Hurt) is a rich psychiatrist in his forties with a
fantastic apartment in New York City. After his relationship breaks up
he feels the need to come to himself. He puts an ad in the Paris
edition of "The Herald Tribune", in which he offers to swap his flat.
The young dancer Beatrice (a role in which Juliette Binoche proves her
great comic talent) pores over the "The Herald" every day to improve
her English and sees Henry's ad. She replies and steps out of her
frugal Parisian student life into the New York jet set. Beatrice has a
whale of a time but Henry has a hard time in Paris. He plunges into
the life of the chaotic inhabitants of the run-down apartment and
after a few household setbacks decides to fly back to New York. But
Beatrice has very convincingly adapted to hernew life; she takes over
Henry's psycho-analytical practice with verve (albeit at first by
accident), providing Akerman with an opportunity playfully to debunk
the rituals of this discipline. Beatrice and Henry turn out in the end
to be impressed by each others personalities as well as their lives."

For another review, which is far less than glowing, turn to:
http://www.99lives.com/movies/couchin.htm, where the movie is given a
luster-less "3.0" out of a possible "5.0."

I have no connection with any of these commercial sites, as per usual
disclaimer.

Patric.
_____________________________________________
psl@ahabs.wisc.edu
www.ahabs.wisc.edu/Student/Lundberg/Home.html
Department of Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences
University of Wisconsin at Madison
Madison, WI 53706, USA.