Detailed item info | Movie description | With I'M GOING HOME, Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira presents a tender film about the zest for life that gives the human spirit resilience in the face of hardship. Michel Piccoli stars as Gilbert Valence, an aging actor who is in the prime of his career, enjoying his pick of prominent roles in both theater and film. During a performance of Exit the King by Eugene Ionesco, with Valence's king weeping over his lost throne, three men arrive backstage to deliver some terrible news: Valence's wife and two children have been killed in a car accident. Saddened but undefeated, Valence continues with the simple daily activities that bring him joy. Each morning he watches his young grandson, Serge (Jean Koeltgen), running off to grade school. He sits in his favorite cafe at his favorite table at the same time each day and drinks coffee. He delights in looking at the monuments of Paris at Trocadero, Place de la Concorde, and the Eiffel Tower. He wanders the grand boulevards, stopping to buy himself a new pair of shoes. A role in The Tempest keeps Valence busy, and when he's at home he plays children's games with Serge. But then his luck turns. His Paris streets become shadowy and dangerous. His agent forces him into a last-minute casting of an English-language film of James Joyce's Ulysses, directed by John Crawford (John Malkovich). And as Valence begins to feel overwhelmed and unhappy, he quickly changes his situation. "I'm going home. I want to rest," he says, and does just that.
| | Credits | | Producer: | Paulo Branco | | Cast: | Jean Koeltgen, John Malkovich, Michel Piccoli |
| | Notes | DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital Stereo - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary
Production Interview - 1. Manoel De Oliveira
Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
Theatrical Release Date: August 14th, 2002 (NY)
| | Editorial reviews | "...I'M GOING HOME gives you the steady pulse of life in a beautiful city..."
New York Times - p.E7 - Stephen Holden (08/14/2002)
"...[A] deeply felt story....With an emotional depth that's true to life and a streamlined narrative..."
Los Angeles Times - p.C1 - Manohla Dargis (08/30/2002)
"...De Oliveira, shooting in long, lingering takes, proves the most playful of sages....As original as it is unlikely: a study in grief that is flooded with happiness..."
Entertainment Weekly - p.127 - Owen Gleiberman (09/13/2002)
"...This character study is full of wry, observational humour about ageing..."
Sight and Sound - Geoffrey Macnab (03/01/2003)
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